Many people, including myself, have heard of the bystander effect. This is a very common term/theory in psychology that directly relate to applied social psychology. Millions of situations arise each day where someone needs help but those who jump to action are few and far between. I have recently finished watching a show on NBC titled Law & Order: SVU. Though the accounts on this show are fictional (as mentioned at the beginning and end of each episode) they hold some truth to them. I often find myself when watching feeling disgusted with the situation and how no one has been scripted to help the victim. How could you watch someone be raped in the street? How could you watch people beat up a person in a park? The answer is simple, yet complicated; The bystander effect.

Day and Marion define the bystander effect as “people are less likely to help in an emergency situation when other people are present” (2012). In other words, the more people around, the less help you will be likely to receive. How is this even possible? You would assume that with more people around there will be someone to help you. The word to pay most attention to is to ‘assume’. You as the victim assume that someone or anyone will help you but those people are also assuming that someone else will help. This is also known in psychology as diffusion of responsibility. So the more people that are around the less people feel responsible for that is happening.

An article published by Kendra Cherry (2016) states we act in ways “…to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways. When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate” (Cherry, 2016). Why is it so important for us to act in accordance with society and what other people are doing? One idea is that it in ingrained in our brain through years of evolution. It is important to be a part of something bigger than yourself and you want to be like everyone else. It is not common for someone to want to stand out and be different. Many may wonder how the bystander effect can be a biological occurrence.

Take for example, this study done by Maria Plötner of the Max Planck conducted a study on 60 5-year-old children were told to color a picture while an adult painted a cardboard wall. Sometimes the kid was alone with the painting adult, and sometimes there were a couple of other kids painting with them who were actually confederates of the experimenter but they’d been told not to talk or to reveal anything about the role they were playing. After the coloring session started, the experimenter knocked over a cup, spilling colored water on her table, and made a series of carefully timed pleas (to make sure the experiment was similar during each run-through) to try to attract the kid’s attention and get him or her to help by bringing over some paper towels. As theory would predict, the children coloring alone were most likely to help the adult (almost all did) but with other children in the room only half made an effort to help (Singal, 2015).

Though there is no concrete evidence as to why the bystander effect occurs or where it begins, many believe that in a large group people assume that someone else is better suited to help rather than them. Therefore, no one makes the effort to help. But there is something you can do to help. As much as we would all like to say ‘if someone were in trouble I would help no matter what’ this is untrue. Most people would not help though they claimed they would. As a victim you can deliberate responsibility by giving direct orders to specific people. You can do this by saying their name followed by what you need them to do or even identify an article of their clothing. Even maintain eye contact with one person can make them feel more a part of the situation than they are and lessen the likelihood they will diffuse responsibility. Kendra Cherry finishes her article by saying “By personalizing and individualizing your request, it becomes much harder for people to turn you down” (Cherry, 2016).

 

 

References

Cherry, K. (2016, October 04). The Bystander Effect: Why Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help. Retrieved from VeryWell: https://www.verywell.com/the-bystander-effect-2795899

Day, D. M., & Marion, S. B. (2012). Applying Social Psychology To The Criminal Justice System. In F. W. Schneider, J. A. Gruman, & L. M. Coutts, Applied Social Psychology (pp. 245-272). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc.

Singal, J. (2015, April 13). Researchers Found the ‘Bystander Effect’ in 5-Year-Olds. Retrieved from NYmag: http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/04/bystander-effect-in-5-year-olds.html

 

 

Communication is such an important part of everyday life. Whether we are communicating on a personal, social, or business level, there are different things that we need to keep in mind to maintain a healthy balance of communication. Organizations, in particular, value the type of people they choose to represent their businesses. In this week’s lesson, we assessed how overconfidence in e-mail communication is centered around egocentrism and producing messages that have meanings interpreted differently between the sender and receiver. When working in a business environment, we can see why this is an important factor to consider. We do not want to send out messages to coworkers or media to the community that could negatively affect the vision of the business.

Were you are that 93% of hiring managers screen their potential employee options via social media (Davidson, 2017). It is even stated that 55% of the time, candidates are reconsidered based on information that they find (Davidson, 2017). Although most of the time these screenings are done looking for references to drugs and other illegal activities, employers can use your social media postings to their advantage. This helps them to see what type of writing you do and over what interests you do them on. Davidson (2017) states, “66% of hiring managers said they would hold poor spelling and grammar against candidates” ().

If hiring managers look at what you write and how you write it, then you must really consider the different attribute biases that could go into play as well. When all we have are words to communicate, is there emptiness to them? Are we really saying what we mean? According to Ritter (2017), “Without any information other than words—typically, very few words—the meaning we make out of the cryptic electronic messages we receive is necessarily shaped by our own feelings and expectations. Consequently, what we believe is being said may have very little  to do with what the author wishes to communicate” (). Sometimes the way we take in information isn’t the same as others. What we say may have an entirely different inflection on another individual.

Overall, we need to be aware of what we write and how we write it. Different individuals can take things different ways. I’m not saying we need to be overly defensive about the types of things that we write, but we need to understand that everything we say can have a bigger meaning and larger implications than we think. Can you think of a time when you may have fallen into any of these categories?

 

References

Davidson, J. (2017). The 7 social media mistakes most likely to cost you a job. Retrieved from http://time.com/money/3510967/jobvite-social-media-profiles-job-applicants/

Ritter M. (2017). Why is there so much miscommunication via email and text? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/contemporary-psychoanalysis-in-action/201502/why-is-there-so-much-miscommunication-email-and

 

Relationships at work are very important for the effective functioning of an organization/team. But a successful organization usually involves some very strong personalities who may be the leaders or the subordinates. So, what are the different developmental stages of groups? What are the possible motivators to gain power? How do these strong personalities work together in an organization?

 

Let’s consider the example of one of the organizations that I was a part of in my sophomore year in college. I was the President of Multicultural club- a group whose sole focus was to educate the locals about diversity and introduce them to new cultures. I had 3 other students working directly under me on my executive board, I had an advisor, and I also had about 15-20 students as members of the club. The club was a success overall since we managed to pull off 2 major events, one of which was a completely new event and both of which were featured in local newspapers. Through this club, I also started a campaign to build a meditation room on-campus, made the administrators become aware of the urgent need of this room.

 

According to Tukman, there is a cycle that dictates the different aspects of group formation which include, forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. The group first entered the norming stage by the exec board first having a meeting and then having an ice breaker activity during our general body meeting. In the storming stage, we finalized our roles in the group and faced our first few conflicts. Even though everyone was determined to perform their jobs according to their roles, we did have some conflicts when it came time to prepare for various events. As we entered the norming stage, we stayed with our original roles. We also solidified some of the norms of the group, such as meeting in the afternoons to work on event prep or for me and my vice-president to have meetings in our free time to discuss event planning details. In the performing stage, we successfully pulled off the event and reached our goals. We also entered the adjourning stage by restarting this cycle once the first project was completed.

 

Power was a phenomenon that was helpful in some ways while stressful in others. A struggle for power occurred between me and my advisor. While I was the clear and elected leader of the group, my advisor wanted to treat me as a subordinate and so the power struggle began. My advisor had expert power, so I was influenced by her knowledge and was forced to follow her lead in some aspects. However, I had legitimate power, which is given through an official title. As a result, there were frequent cases of conflict between my advisor and I. I believe my advisor had a need for power, or a desire to influence others. I do not believe that she wanted personalized power but was rather more focused on socialized power since I do believe that she wanted the group to prosper at the end of the day.

 

While the struggle for power was definitely a cause for concern for me, it did not hinder our progress as a group. The team continued to progress through all of Tukman’s developmental stages for groups. In the end, we were able to pull off two of the largest on-campus events while starting a new campaign for the future of the campus.

 

References:

Nelson, A. (2017). Organizational Life and Teams. Retrieved February 27, 2017, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1834710/modules/items/21736677

 

 

Good Evening Everyone!

Lesson 7 – We are moving along this semester!

This week I wanted to share what we discussed about communication this week! We have focused on Tuckman’s theories which I believe apply to mostly any team or group. These are certainly the stages that teams go through on their way to performing and success (1977). In fact, I believe it is a great foundation to follow in understanding emotions and communication when working in teams. Reading Tuckman’s (1965) developmental stages, proves the obstacles that individuals display on a daily basis when working with teams. Whether it be work, school or play; it appears that we follow this same pattern on Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and even at times Adjourning.

Another point that I absolutely related to was our second essay topic regarding a study on emails, egocentrism and miscommunication. The results of the studies were not too surprising to me but the fact that we as humans are quick to judge others and not ourselves in the same manner, is a pattern that has been continuous throughout history. It appears that with this mindset, unfortunately, we set up destruction in our relationship and communication with others.

The points of fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer difference both interact with communication behavior. The fundamental attribution error, per Schneider et al., states that we underestimate the influence of external and situational factors when judging the behavior of others but overestimate these factors when viewing our personal behaviors (2012).

Likewise, the actor-observer difference is a bias where we see ourselves as being influenced by external factors but when viewing others, we seem to believe they are being influenced by their own personal factors instead (Schneider et al., 2012, pg. 224).

Why are humans so quick to critique others but not themselves? I suppose it is easier to point out the flaws of others but more hurtful to point out those of ourselves. Perhaps because we may not have to deal directly with the faults of others, making it easier on ourselves to critique them. We need to realize though, we are all human and have faults.

A part of effective communication whether via email, text or social media, is not just thinking of our self and our feelings, but also taking the listener and receiver into consideration. Of course, no system is perfect but try to be sure that what your encoding, is decoded properly. How will the person on the receiving end interpret you message, words and view?

Thank you everyone 🙂

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A. & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Productions, Inc.

Tuckman, B. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63 (6). 384–399. doi:10.1037/h0022100

Tuckman, B. & Jensen, M.A. (1977). Stages of Small-Group Development Revisited. Group Organization Management, 2. 419-427

One of the aspects discussed in our lesson this week on Organizational Life and Teams was effective communication through the channel of email. I am going to expand this conversation to include the channels of text messages and any type of social media that has consumed individuals and businesses all around the world today such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter.

How many times have you texted a friend, or put out a tweet where you didn’t get the response you were looking for? We’ve all been there. Confused you wonder how that message was misconstrued. These were your friends after all and they should have been able to “pick up what you were laying down”. Well according to the studies conducted in the article by Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z. (2005) Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think?, this is not the case. The studies showed evidence that it did not matter whether you were friends or strangers there would still be a disconnect between the way the message was encoded, how it was constructed by the sender and transmitted, and decoded or perceived by the receiver.

Just imagine, if your own friends could mistake something you typed to them, how many strangers or coworkers have you possibly offended! I thought this was an interesting development. Most people would assume that the people that know you the best would be able to properly interpret the things you say via computer-moderated communication. Knowing this is not necessarily true, it gives you something to think about. Anytime you sit down to your computer or pick up your cell phone, whether it be to type up an email, send a text or post on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you better think about what your about to say and how you want to come across without having paralinguistic ques to help carry your message.
Is the receiver going to be able to “hear” what you’re typing?

-Shea Hubler

Reference:
Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(6), 925-936. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.925

In this week’s discussion I wrote about my job as a children’s domestic violence counselor. I also mentioned that three employees have resigned since I’ve been on maternity leave (since the end of December). As my return to work looms closer, I have been fighting an internal conflict about whether or not I want to go back. Obviously the main issue is the fact that I want to stay home with my baby, but there are other, work-related issues that make it difficult to want to return. However, the same aspects that made me question my job are the same things that convinced me to stay.

The exodus of my co-workers (and friends) from my small office encouraged me to take a hard look at what I want out of my job. What I like about the job is clear—a two minute drive to work, great hours, no weekends or holidays. I’m sure many of you can agree, though, that we did not attend Penn State University so we don’t have to work weekends. Clearly the perks are not enough for me to be satisfied.

Our text mentions that the most important aspects of a satisfied employee are being challenged, being rewarded, and working within a supportive system with supportive coworkers (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). Typically I feel somewhat challenged at work, but not always because of my assigned duties. I am rewarded with a paycheck, but anyone who works in social work knows that it doesn’t pay well, and the benefit package is less than stellar. My biggest qualm is that our office environment is terrible, and although some of my coworkers are helpful, some are not, and are in fact “out to get me” (and others as well). It seems as though I should get out soon, but I won’t.

It’s not my main job function, or really anything I was hired to do, but I enjoy working with my boss to figure out the best way to “get along.” We’ve planned get-togethers and other things we can do as a group to get to know each other better, to learn the strengths of others, and how we can be more supportive as employees. Although the work I do on paper isn’t extremely challenging, my “other” duties help me feel challenged.  I believe I have a relatively high growth need strength, in that I look for challenges in my job to help me grow within my career (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012), so I know that I am being primed for a management position in the future.

Absenteeism is a red flag for unhappiness in a job (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012) so if I notice myself slipping I will definitely reevaluate my priorities. I might not be head-over-heels for my job, but it does not mean that I am not satisfied—for now.

 

 

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

Power in Organizations

Power is the ability to make things happen according to one’s perspective by getting someone else to do it for you. It is mainly beneficial in organizations where the managers assign tasks to different employees and make them do those tasks. It is their role to guide on what employees should do to achieve organizational success. Power aids in providing a sense of direction towards the organizational goals.

In organizations, there are various sources of power. However, the primary source of power is the legitimate power, which means the power assigned based on job designation. It is allocated according to the rank level within the organization (Kotter, 2008). Officers in the higher level such as management are perceived to have power over junior employees. Besides, other sources of power are relevant in an organization. Experts in a certain field have enough knowledge on that area giving them power over employees lacking such knowledge.

Power is responsible for ensuring employee commitment and compliance in the organization. It aids in avoiding resistance among employees ensuring they coexist in harmony, which leads to increased productivity. Even though managers are perceived to have power, they also need to work on leadership, which is an essential element in organizational power. They need to empower fellow employees by making useful decisions that help them and their work.

Empowerment allows employees to maximize their potential, which leads to more experience and job satisfaction.

However, employees need the training to enable them to expand their horizons. It is done through delegation. Delegation is the distributing power from the top manager to organizational employees granting them the authority to make important organizational decisions (Millard, 2002). It reduces the lag time in making influential decisions that affect the normal functioning of the organization. It increases the organizational response time and makes employees comfortable to raise issues and contribute. It results in overall job satisfaction in the organization.

References

Kotter, J. (2008). Power, success, and organizational effectiveness. Organizational Dynamics, 6(3), 27-40. doi:10.1016/90-2616(78)946-3

Millard, C. (2002). Being the boss: The importance of leadership & power. Organizational Dynamics, 21(2), 73-75. doi:10.1016/00-2616(92)966-v

As we have entered the 21st century, it seems as though the world is becoming smaller day by day. The introduction of computer and the increasing accessibility to technology even in third world countries has made it much easier to interact with people on the other side of the world. As interaction with people from different cultures who hold different ideologies become increasingly common, it is important for us to understand what diversity means and how intergroup relations can be improved. Specifically, how concepts such as prejudice and discrimination can be understood using the social identity theory and social dominance theory.

Prejudice and discrimination exist as a result of one of the survival methods for our ancestors. In the past, prejudice and discrimination allowed the “outsiders” to be identified in order for our ancestors to prevent diseases and ensure the future of one’s genetic material. Prejudice is defined as opinions about a certain group of people that may or may not be justified. Even though prejudice can be positive, in the case of celebrities for example, it becomes dangerous when it is in its negative form. Negative prejudice can lead to people making assumptions about a person based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. An example of negative prejudice would be all Americans are lazy. While prejudice may be hidden if the person does not express those prejudiced opinions, while discrimination is the behavior which involves acting on one’s prejudice. These can include, not hiring someone based on their religion, not providing service for someone based on their race, etc.

While prejudice and discrimination may have ensured our ancestors’ survival, the diverse characteristics of our society make these behavior a cause of conflict and injustice. A recent example of discriminatory behavior occurred in New Mexico. The convenience store owner in a small town of MayHill clearly held prejudiced opinions of Muslims, believing that all Muslims are terrorists. It is clear that he decided to act on these opinions and participate in discriminatory behavior by putting up the sign “Obama and Other Muslims Not Welcome Here.” This discriminatory behavior is a clear example of injustice being served against Muslims, who may now have to travel for a much longer period of time in order to reach a convenience store. This discriminatory act may have worsened the conflict that may have existed within the community of MayHill (Burrows, 2017).

Now the question that comes to mind is, why did the MayHill convenience store owner choose to discriminate in the first place? One explanation could be described by the social identity theory. According to this theory, people behave differently depending on the situation. The key factor, as it relates to discrimination and prejudice, is that a person’s behavior may be motivated by their social identity when placed in a group situation rather than their personal identity. An in-group is a group in which a person feels comfortable in and is a part of while all other groups that a person feels threatened who may serve as competition for resources belong in the out-group. The convenience store owner saw Muslims as a threat to not only his peaceful life in the small town but their existence in the country meant competition for his small business. By being placed in the social situation of either choosing his in-group of non-Muslims versus the out-group of Muslims, he chose to protect the interests of his in-group.

Another important question that must be answered in the case of MayHill convenience store discrimination is why did the store owner choose to discriminate against Muslims? According to the social dominance theory, people are compelled to protect their in-group at all times (as compared to the social identity theory which states that people will only protect their in-group under certain situations). People also feel obliged to maintain societal hierarchies, and any attempt of a group trying to move up the hierarchy results in conflict. Since 9/11, Muslims have faced a large amount of discrimination in America. In the past few years, Muslims have been trying to move up the hierarchy and protect their own in-group through formation of groups such as Council on American-Islamic Relations. Many groups feel threatened by this attempt to move up the hierarchy and it has been seen as a source of competition for other groups. This has resulted in an increase in conflict between Muslims and other groups within the United States. In an attempt to keep Muslims in the lower hierarchy, President Trump, for example, recently released a statement stating that America will prioritize Christian refugees over Muslim refugees (Burke, 2017). So, it is not surprising that the MayHill convenience store owner is participating in discriminatory behavior in order to protect his in-group. The convenience store owner is a classic example of a person being affected by the social dominance theory since prior to putting up the sign against Muslims, he had placed a sign supporting the KKK (Burrows, 2017). As a result, he is consistently attempting to protect his in-group of White-Christian-Americans from any other group in the United States.

As shown in the example of MayHill convenience store, discrimination and prejudice need to be actively dealt with in order to allow for equality, justice, and peace within our communities. The social dominance theory and social identity theories can prove to be valuable ideas that can help explain discriminatory behavior, while helping for us to find ways to reduce conflict among various groups in our society.

References:

Burke, D. (2017, January 30). Trump says US will prioritize Christian refugees. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/trump-christian-refugees/

Burrows , T. (2017, January 02). ‘Obama and other Muslims not welcome here’: Convenience store sparks outrage with racist ‘welcome’ sign . Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4081650/Obama-Muslims-not-welcome-Convenience-store-sparks-outrage-racist-welcome-sign.html

Nelson, A. (2017). Lesson 6. Applied Social Psychology: Intergroup Relations/Diversity. PSYCH 424 Course Content Site Lecture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1834710/modules/items/21736674

Why is it important to get along with your coworkers? Well because whether you like it or not you have to deal with them for a prolonged period of time. I have worked with different people all my adult life some nice some not so much. But like Switzerland during WW2 I try to be neutral (Garner,2016). In my work my position falls in the administrative branch so I have been the mediator of several heated discussions. What I use to try and determine who has the most accurate information is social perception. Social perception is when you try to understand or make sense of people (Schneider et al,2013). When I went to work more often I dealt with a lot of misunderstanding not so much now but that’s because I work from home now. Let me give you an example of why it is important to get along with others.

My company hired a new receptionist a few years back at first this young women was very friendly and made friends quickly including myself. At that point in our company everyone seemed happy to be there. A red flag went up when the friendliest person I have ever met began to have concerns about the new employee. She was the other receptionist in the front, I listened to her and said ill keep an eye out and see what’s going on. I let my office manager know the concerns the other receptionist had however my manager said she feels like that because she pregnant she’s hormonal. I didn’t know how to respond so I said, “okay ill just see what the others think”. After a month I noticed the employees acting different towards one another. At different times when they visited me to drop of paper work I told them what’s going on why is everyone acting strange.At first they denied that anything was wrong so I let it be. However a few days later I noticed all the employees performance were sub-par to what they usually are. According to the consequences of job satisfactions the lack commitment and job avoidance I believed that the employees were dissatisfied with there current work (Schneider et al,2013).

Once again I sat down with my employees and asked them what’s wrong and every story had something similar. Which was the new receptionist she has been spreading rumors about everyone even the owner of the company has been told things about employees that were untrue. I brought it up to my manager however we couldn’t say anything about it to the owner as we found out that the receptionist started dating the owner’s son. Therefore we were left in a strange position. Eventually the employees found out what was happening and weren’t too happy about it. Communication is very important in any organization whether big or small and all the employees communicated with each other and figured who was causing the issues. Eventually all the employees began isolating the receptionist not letting her in to their conversations or inviting her to lunch. I didn’t condone this behavior but I also couldn’t force them to communicate with her during their free time. In a way my employees followed the communication model in Applied Social Psychology: Psychology to Organizations. What I mean by this is that the group was sending this receptionist a message however it wasn’t a verbal message it was nonverbal. By the employees isolating the receptionist they were demonstrating there discontent with the actions she instigated. Eventually the receptionist quite and everything went back to normal. Productivity was high as well as for the moral in the office. That’s why it’s important to get along with your coworkers because the job is hard enough and to feel alone and isolated I believe it would make the job even harder. Although I didn’t agree with how the employees resolved their issue with the new receptionist at least they did it together and as a team.

Garner, Tom.(2016). Switzerland in World War II, History of War. Retrieved from https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/switzerland-in-world-war-ii-the-hypocrisy-and-bloodshed-behind-armed-neutrality/

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M.(2013). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems,Psychology To Organizations.(pp.229-243).epub

Gender and what it mean has become a concept so blurred within American society in particular. There are so many different terms and meanings behind what gender really means as a whole in 2017. According to Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts (2012), “The term sex refers to the biological distinction of being male or female, whereas the term gender refers to the social or learned characteristics that are associated with being male or female” (pg. 331). However, gender now takes on many different forms now. ABC News now identifies 58, yes 58, different genders options for users to choose from on the social media platform Facebook (Goldman, 2017).

It seems that anymore people are no longer comfortable identifying themselves as strictly male or female, regardless of their anatomy. Sex is primarily the means of social categorization for an individual (Schneider et al., 2012).

Luckily, I have never had to become involved in a situation where I wouldn’t know when to call someone he, she, or they as the pronoun that they want to identify with. It is a confusing idea to wrap my head around. To put this into perspective, these are the 58 different gender options that Facebook identifies that vary from agender, androgynous, cis, gender variant, intersex, non-binary, other, transgender, and two-spirit and these are to only name a few (Goldman, 2017).

National Geographic featured the first transgender individual on the cover of their magazine in the January 2017 edition regarding gender. Avery Jackson is a nine year old girl representing the face of transgender today. Although Avery was born a boy, she has identified as a female since the age of five (Goldberg, 2016). Her ability to be comfortable in her own skin has opened the door for many other individuals to be happy with who they are and how they are. If you read the comments available on the National Geographic page for the article, you can see an outcry from the public that their lack of understanding or ability to try is still pouring out into society today.

This also brings up not only the issue of gender identification itself, but that there is still a large divide among males and females today in many parts of the world. Nasreen Sheikh is also a nine year old female with a story to share in the issue. She dreams of becoming a doctor, however, she lives in an impoverished area of Mumbai. In this particular area, boys are the dominant gender. They are allowed to go to school and have nicer things. Goldberg (2016) states, “In many places girls are uniquely at risk. At risk of being pulled out of school or doused with acid if they dare to attend. At risk of genital mutilation, child marriage, sexual assault” ().

For coming so far within society today, why are the seemingly little things like gender still such a large and confusing issue today?

 

References:

Goldberg, S. (2016). Why we put a transgender girl on the cover of national geographic. Retrieved from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/01/editors-note-gender/

Goldman, R. (2017). Here’s a list of 58 gender options for Facebook users. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/02/heres-a-list-of-58-gender-options-for-facebook-users/

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

The United States still remains segregated yet blatant racism does not appear to be common these days. As discussed by Schneider and his colleagues, there are different forms of racism – aversive, symbolic, and ambivalent – that better articulate the complex concept of racism (2012). I am sure many individuals in marginalized groups agree that racism has not been eradicated as the racism is manifested in subtle bias and discrimination against those who are in the marginalized groups. Such form is called microaggression.

Microaggression is defined as “subtle forms of bias and discrimination” against those who are in marginalized groups (Ong & Burrow, 2017). They can be manifested in both verbal and nonverbal forms whether intentional or unintentional. For example, many Asian American females both U.S. born and foreign born experiences come across microaggression against their ethnicities and gender in a form of microinsult. One woman reported that she and her friends who were also Asian Americans who were accompanied by their White spouses were called “those whores” by drunken soldiers (Iwasaki et al., 2016). Another incident reported by a Black student shows an example of ascription of intelligence when he tried to explain in the class, a White girl interjected, “well, what he means is…” assuming he was not intelligent enough to speak for himself in the class (Sue et al, 2009).

Former President Obama once said in his speech that he was followed when he was shopping in a store, heard the doors of cars locked as he was walking by, and a woman showed extremely nervousness as he got on an elevator with him (Obama, 2013). Those are examples of nonverbal microaggressions. It is disturbing to learn that those behaviors are often automatic that express “put-downs” of individuals in marginalized groups (Pierce et al., 1977). What if Obama were White, would he receive those unfair treatments? He would have on a much lesser degree only because of his gender especially when he was on an elevator with one female, but not as severe as most Black men would.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine shared the above link to a YouTube video that shows a brief but awkward conversation between an Asian female and a White man. I found it amusing only because I could relate to the situation in the video as a member of a marginalized group. In my case, I was and still am asked what my nationality is. Of course, I am always glad to answer that I am American which does not satisfy their intent of the question. They would rephrase their question in many different ways such as shown in the video. When I reveal my ethnicity, of course as if it is written in a manual book, they try to relate to my ethnic culture.

I must say, based on my personal experiences, that members of marginalized groups are in difficult positions. If they refute to microaggressive comments or behaviors, they are perceived to be sensitive or over-reactive. On the other hand, if they remain silent, they send off messages that those behaviors are socially acceptable. As for me, I am still in search of fitting reactions to disparate treatments as every incident is different and unique. Each time such incidents occur, I try my best not let the situations affect me negatively but wonder when I will be treated for who I am in this so called melting pot. I cannot negate the pervasive feeling of being an alien in my domain whenever I am asked “Where are you from?”.

 

References

Iwasaki, M., Thai, C. J., & Lyons, H. Z. (2016). Perceptions of societal microaggressions in Japanese American women married to White American men. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 5(3), 180-196. doi:10.1037/cfp0000065

Obama, B. H. (2013). Remarks by the President on Trayvon Martin. Retrieved February 19, 2017, from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/07/19/remarks-president-trayvon-martin

Ong, A. D., & Burrow, A. L. (2017). Microaggressions and Daily Experience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(1), 173-175. doi:10.1177/1745691616664505

Pierce, C. M., Carew, J. V., Pierce-Gonzalez, D., & Wills, D. (1977). An Experiment in Racism: TV Commercials. Education and Urban Society, 10(1), 61-87. doi:10.1177/001312457701000105

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

Sue, D. W., Bucceri, J., Lin, A. I., Nadal, K. L., & Torino, G. C. (2009). Racial microaggressions and the Asian American experience. Asian American Journal of Psychology, S(1), 88-101. doi:10.1037/1948-1985.s.1.88

Where Are You From (2013, May 31). Retrieved February 19, 2017, from https://youtu.be/crAv5ttax2I

We begin to learn of the atrocities committed by mankind to other fellow humans, as schoolchildren. When I was in fourth grade, I learned that a horrendous man rose to power in Germany during World War II, and killed millions of innocent civilians. As my teacher explained the very basics of the Holocaust, I saw my classmates eyes widen with disbelief. “How could anyone be so evil?” I thought. In middle school, I learned of the United States history on slavery. I did not understand how even one individual could have the capacity to enslave, beat, and torture another human, let alone garner the support of these actions from the majority of a nation. These are just two examples in our recent history of how prejudice behaviors have led to severe consequences.

Physical oppression, including murder, genocide, and enslavement are parts of history that no one should be proud of. These specific types of oppression are especially atrocious, but oppression can come in many different forms. Denying an individual rights that other individuals possess, through an unfair authority of power is a simple definition of oppression. The female suffrage movement, African-American civil rights movement, and LGBTQ rights are recent examples of movements in response to oppressed groups that experienced, and in some cases still experience inequality. Even today women experience income inequality, African-Americans are still victims of racial discrimination, and the LGBTQ community continues to fight for basic rights. Oppression usually stems from prejudice ideals that support the notion that one group, race, gender, etc. is better than another. This type of thinking is obviously very problematic.

Consequences of prejudice go beyond how it affects the targeted group as a whole. Each individual has their own unique experiences in regard to being the victim of prejudice. Social psychologists realize this, and have shifted a lot of attention on how prejudice acts affect the well-being of the person being targeted. Victims of prejudice may report feeling anxious, depressed, or stressed. Anytime there are multitudes of people that are experiencing distressing symptoms, action must be taken in an effort to decrease those symptoms.

Another consequence of prejudice behavior is stereotype threat. Stereotype threat occurs when someone feels fearful or nervous that their behavior will worsen a negative stereotype held towards a particular group they belong to. Their concern with trying to avoid confirming a stereotype becomes a distraction, therefore increasing the likelihood that the target’s performance will be affected (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). Our text gives the example of a woman taking a math exam. She is under the impression that women are not expected to do well in math, causing her to feel nervous about the exam. Since she is going into this exam with the mindset that she will not do as well because she is a woman and since she is experiencing anxiety, she is not likely to perform as well as she could have if this stereotype did not exist.

So, where these prejudice behaviors come from? Social psychologists have worked to study this particular question, because understanding prejudice behavior is critical in decreasing it. There is a tendency for individuals to mistakenly believe that two things are related if they are seen occurring together (Jones, 1997). This process leads to the creating of stereotypes. Stereotypes attempt to predict the behavior and characteristics of a certain group. Failing to resolve the formation of negative and inaccurate stereotypes becomes dangerous, because it is completely impractical to generalize an entire group of people. Making associations is how we learn, but we will assimilate new information to our existing schemas. We will even accommodate new information by changing our schemas, if the schema no longer makes sense. Stereotyping is largely due to a lack of assimilation and accommodation of new information. Stereotypes can also be developed through the environment an individual is exposed to.

Personally, the best way to decrease prejudice would be to understand that many stereotypes do not hold consistent accuracy. Individuals that develop negative stereotypes about certain groups, should seek examples that defy their previous beliefs. Prejudice behavior, which stems from stereotypical ideals, has been shown to bring on a number of unfavorable consequences. Our goal as a diverse species should be to reduce this behavior in order to avoid unnecessary conflict.

References

Jones, J.M. (1997). Prejudice and racism (2nd ed.). New York. McGraw-Hill.

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

 

If I told you that a group of 13 people from very different places, all with completely different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and values were able to work together seamlessly, communicate effectively, and develop lasting friendships all in nine days, would you believe me? No? Well, neither would I. However, vacationing with a purpose with the organization Habitat for Humanity, a special group of 13 people to include myself did just that. More often than not, when people think of diversity, they concern themselves with the challenges it brings. But, as Maya Angelou once said “….in diversity there is beauty and there is strength” (n.d.).

This group consisted of nine women and four men, all of which departed from different points of the world. The different points of departure were as follows: Canada, China, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Washington, and Chicago. With everyone departing from different parts of the world, arrivals to Asuncion, Paraguay were between Thursday and Saturday. The Saturday evening once the entire team had arrived we had a meet and greet dinner at a local restaurant. Informal introductions were done amongst each other and discourse began right away as we walked from the hotel to the restaurant. Everyone trying to get to know each other with general questions, probing questions, and simple conversation. In getting to the restaurant we realized our Spanish skills weren’t as great as we thought since the restaurant personnel spoke solely Spanish. However, we had one teammate that spoke Spanish really well, as it was her first language. She gladly helped us with our orders and we proceeded with the evening. The following day after a brief from the Habitat for Humanity coordinators we had a dinner to get to know the HFH personnel, as we would also be working with them. At this point, we were sharing stories with each other, joking, laughing, etc.

Monday we finally began the projects we came there for and that was building two houses for two separate teams. The team leader split the group into two teams because the houses were at different locations. Upon receiving our tasks, we dug straight into work….literally; we actually had to dig up the perimeter of the house, as well as a septic tank and cesspool. Throughout the week, we got more and more comfortable with each other while working our tails off. Some of told jokes, sang, danced, told stories, we all allowed each other to be ourselves and feel comfortable doing so. We all had different strengths and weaknesses so we pushed each other and acknowledged the differences by working in a manner that complimented the differences to make it work. Being a Marine I am slightly competitive in nature, therefore, before the projects began on the first day I initiated a little competition insinuating that the team I was on would finish faster. At the end of every workday, each team would compare their progress all in fun and games because we all enjoyed the work and each other’s company regardless of how far we got. Eventually, we named the teams “Team Fun” and “Team Work”, my team being “Team Fun” because we sang, danced, and laughed so much throughout the workday. We even had a made up cement dance, for when we were making cement.

In the end, we realized that even with all our similarities and differences, one thing we do share is our passion to help and desire to uplift and encourage other people. Our group functioned so well because we brought different strengths and talents to the project, we were the definition of functional diversity. As noted by Coutts, Gruman, and Schneider, “functional diversity enhances group effectiveness even further…” (2012).

Our group brought diversity on many different levels, gender, age, race, culture, etc. Every single person brought something unique to the group as we’ve all had completely different life experiences, that brought different insight to fulfilling tasks. For example, one teammate spoke fluent Spanish, which helped us tremendously. A lot of the teammates were into their 40’s, therefore, having plenty of experiences, some even with construction, helped.  I think we made such a great team because we allowed each other to feel comfortable in our differences. In the end, though it had only been a week, we were sad to see each other go.

I got this tattoo when I returned from Paraguay. The symbol is an Adinkra symbol, which is a part of the West African culture, namely Ghana, where my ancestors were from. The symbol means, ‘Unity in Diversity’. I got it because of the strong positive impact each person had on me and because I thought it was absolutely amazing how we all brought something unique to the table but made it all work as a team. The F at the bottom and top represent “Fuego Familia”, which was an inside joke to the team.

 

 

References:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time there was a little girl and she decided she wanted to do all she could to benefit the world. So she did. This is a future of happiness I hope to share with my daughter, mother, friends, and you. It seems like a rather simple concept. Gender defines part of who we are in our community. However, there are so many layers to this and so many theories. For example, did you know that everyone discriminates as a process in their thoughts starting at first glance? The social identity theory helps to describe this, discrimination (which is mostly a negative connotation) contributes substantially to how the little girl will experience her world (being part of an in-group or considered not belonging because she is part of the out-group), and social dominance helps to define and dictate her future; but most importantly this little girl has a bright future made by the efforts of so many organizations and advocates available today. Overall, it is important to understand the mechanics of our social interactions to help open new opportunities and teach this little girl a better way to define herself and achieve wonderful things.
When I first went to start to write this blog I had so many ideas on gender discrimination which is defined as “the unequal treatment of similarly situated individuals based on their sex” (Rolf, 2016). This would touch on the social identity theory that describes that part of an individual’s self-concept with regard to how they identify with other social groups both physically and emotionally (Nelson, 2017). But then I had the epiphany; what if for just a moment we attempted to consider the positive? Just because we are girls or identify as girls does not mean that we cannot do amazing things. In recent times, there has started a revolution of shift in power for females and what they are allowed to do. I say allowed because while women are different physically they are still capable of doing many of the same tasks, if not all, equal or better than men. For many years and still today women are not treated the same as men. Many people may disagree with this statement because they think so much “progress” has been made. This is true but that does not mean we are equal or that we should be dis-proportionally excluded or receive reduction in rewards like school acceptance, pay rate, and being passed over for a promotion (that got passed on to a man) just because of gender. I surely didn’t check the “female” box when I was being made and I surely doubt you had the choice either. This kinship or preference is a reflection of the social dominance theory which is a hierarchy that is and has been established (Nelson, 2017). This hierarchy gives those in the top tier unfair advantage and bias based on inclusion to the group- like men. Though we are shaking the trees and changing the landscape as to what girls can do!

So what is being done to help that little girl? Should we all tread lightly on the subject or divide on if feminism is warranted. No! The fact of the matter is that being a feminist does not mean you must hate men or prefer women. To me, it means that you see the good in females, the monumental contributions they can make, and you celebrate this aspect and help other females to succeed for the sake of success and benefiting the world. Not everyone has a voice to be proud or to try new things- especially young girls. It does not have to disadvantage boys, but only to give girls the equality that they deserve.

So let’s explore some amazing sources that are helping those around us today. Girltank.org shouts out “dare to change the world” (About Girltank.org, 2017).This online community helps female social entrepreneurs grow their ventures through storytelling, seed funding, solidarity, and more (Kennedy, 2016). Girlswhocode.com helps 10th and 11th grade girls to break into the tech world through a summer immersion program that uses project-based learning with top tech companies to help educate and promote women in this field (Girls Who Code, n.d.). So are you inspired to be a feminist yet? How about reevaluate the way you teach your daughter her personal identity (generally her self-concept and opinion of what she is and can be)? Well I am not done yet. Girl scouts has been around for a very long time, but did you know they do more than camp and sell cookies? Though let’s be honest for many of us that is one of the top ten wonderful things about them. Girl scouts inspires and teaches girls about STEM which is science, technology, engineering, and mechanics as well. This inspiration starts from the top of the pyramid all the way down to these young girls triumphing through education, kindness, and self confidence in our community. A shining example of the effect that the girl scouts provide can be shown with their very own interim CEO for Girl Scouts of the USA, Sylvia Acevedo. “A proud Girl Scout, engineer and rocket scientist, and passionate advocate for both girls and Girl Scouts, Sylvia Acevedo credits her Girl Scout experience with propelling her to success in the corporate and philanthropic sectors” (Meet Sylvia Acevedo, Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, 2016). How powerful is that? A woman helping to run an organization solely on the mission to inspire and propel them! The buck doesn’t stop there either it extends to other realms. Companies like Goldieblox are making an impact early on just as Legos has done for years for little boys. “GoldieBlox is the award-winning children’s multimedia company disrupting the pink aisle in toy stores globally and challenging gender stereotypes with the world’s first girl engineer character” (About Goldieblox, 2017) . If you haven’t played with them I guarantee that no matter your sex you will have fun and help a little girl with your purchase. Their website alone details the social dominance theory at work in today’s society with a simple informative fact. Total women engineers worldwide equal only 14% versus the 86% that are male (About Goldieblox, 2017). So yes there is a disparity but no we don’t have to be man haters to change it. We can help both boys and girls to work in conjunction to create a better world. The most important thing is we give these girls the boost they need to succeed early and consistently.

http://https://youtu.be/VepAmqQnUBg

So break the mold, challenge the glass ceiling to be broken not raised, and help to positively affect the women and world around you. Gender discrimination is a real thing and is still happening, but it doesn’t have to be the end. Your social identity can affect the way you view the world so lets help this little girl to have a personal identity concept that is to be brave, smart, admired, and capable while kind. Gender bias just has to be the ugly monster that is defeated for this princess to have her happily ever after.Because who said girls have to slay dragons to conquer them? Not me. It is clear that this little girl is able to tame the monster and better the world.

Resources:
About Girltank.org. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://girltank.org/#
About GoldieBlox | Meet Debbie Sterling – GoldieBlox founder. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://www.goldieblox.com/pages/about
Girls Who Code — Join 40,000 Girls Who Code today! (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2017, from https://girlswhocode.com/
Kennedy, A. (2016, April 22). 5 Orgs That Prove ‘Girl Power’ Is Not a Cliché. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://www.shimmerteen.com/5-organizations-that-prove-girl- power-is-not-a-cliche/
Meet Sylvia Acevedo, Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. (2016, June 17). Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://blog.girlscouts.org/2016/06/meet-sylvia-acevedo-interim- ceo-of-girl.html?m=1
Nelson, A. (n.d.) Penn State University Psych 424 Lesson 6: Intergroup Relations/Diversity. [Online Lesson Commentary]. Retrieved February 17, 2017, from Penn State World Campus Online Web site: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1834710/modules/items/21736671
Rolf, C. A. (2016). Sex discrimination. Salem Press Encyclopedia.

This week we learned about diversity with respect to prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping, and even with regard to gender and sexism. While all issues and supporting theories hold incredible value, I would like to focus my attention on the differences of gender roles in society today, and what that really means for those who don’t align with what is expected of them.

As understood from our textbook, “gender refers to the social or learned characteristics that are associated with being male or female” (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). But what goes into creating those roles? As we have understood from previous psychology courses – culture, social class, religion, genetics, race, locality and, of course, personal feelings or beliefs. Regardless of how much effort and education is dedicated to try and bridge the gap between understood gender roles and honoring who we are and what we want without judgment, it seems that there will always be something left over that leaves a lasting impact.

I had a very small family growing up – just my mom, my dad, and me. Close to us were my dad’s siblings, one who is a gay male and who is a gay female. Though they are older now and grew up in the 1960’s, their different experiences of coming out and being judged, while being raised just two bedrooms apart, only showcase the divide in gender roles and expectations. I had asked both my aunt and uncle what it was like to come out at a time where equality for homosexuals was practically non-existent; not to my surprise, finding out that they both had similar feelings but were treated much differently. My aunt had come out before my uncle, and her experience was nerve-racking and vulnerable; however, she was greeted with a semi-quick acceptance and open arms from her family and friends. Though my grandparents were shocked, they both gave her nurturing advice and expressed that they will be there for her “no matter what.” However, when my uncle came out a few years later, the atmosphere and reactions he received were nothing like that of his sister’s. Though my grandma had mentioned she “knew he was gay from a young age,” it surely didn’t change the anxiousness and feelings of rejection looming that my uncle was facing in sitting both his mother and father down to tell them about a huge piece of who he was. My grandma was very supportive and glad that he had expressed himself; however, my grandpa, a very strict and traditional WWII pilot, had an extremely poor reaction to this news. He actually devised an “intervention” to try and change my uncle’s feelings, as well as continuing to be incredibly judgmental towards my uncle for the duration of his life. When I heard both stories of my aunt and uncle, though being gay is an extra variable and more than likely only exacerbates the situation, I started to think more about the common denominator of differentiating gender roles and how they impact the psyche.

In Latin American cultures, gender roles are ingrained into each individual at an early age. Women are known to be responsible for “la casa,” and men are known to be responsible for “la calle.” Women are “homemakers” with the sole duty of making sure the home is clean, organized and ready for the man to be able to enjoy his time. “The streets” are meant to symbolize open space for the man to do what he pleases, including drinking or infidelity. Present gender roles in Latin America create hierarchies, in that they give excessive respect and attention to the man on each level, without equal consideration for the woman (Knapp, Muller, & Quiros, 2009). In 2013, a Shanghai elementary school in China launched a “piloting program on gender education” because they felt there was a “decline in masculinity;” thus, forcing kindergarten girls to cook meals and boys to play with army figurines two times a week. This follows into adulthood and college, where at popular engineering institutions in China, classrooms are filled with men and other majors recommend women don’t apply because they are “unsuitable” for such futures (Florcruz, 2013).

These examples, though taken from only a few regions, showcase how gender roles are boundless in this world. Externally in the outside world, women have been incredibly disrespected and shortchanged, impacting them mentally and monetarily. Women have made incredible strides to maneuver themselves into positions that reflect respect, equality and fairness; though, there is still a massive ways to go. And what about that resentment and depleting self-worth from having to “maneuver” themselves in the first place? Where does that go? Putting aside the blatant sexism women have faced, what about that of young boys who want to play with dolls, wear pink, or not settle a dispute by feeling pressured to physically harm someone else? Or young women, who would prefer to play sports, work full-time as an engineer and wear blue? Once someone has felt shamed out of being who they are, especially over a period of time and done on a grand scale, serious mental implications can ensue and cause debilitating anxiety, stress and even depression. Suppressing who we are, what we want, and who we value ourselves to be is something that should never be done – let alone taught by those we inherently should respect and trust.

By different stigmas, cultures and societies attaching gender roles to ego, self-worth and levels of success, we are left with a dangerous outcome that opens the door to a whole mess of cognitive setbacks. As our book further describes, the hopelessness theory of depression can occur when there is “a vulnerable person and negative environmental circumstances.” Fears of being rejected or judged can cause social anxiety: “feeling tense and uptight when interacting” (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). These different side effects can essentially manifest into so many other problematic and extremely serious situations, such as OCD, eating disorders, persistent depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and so many others.

Fighting an uphill battle can be challenging, tiring and seem impossible, but the work done to minimize the gap in gender roles has been promising thus far. Women in Mexico are starting to work more, take care of themselves first, and do what suits them (Knapp, Muller, & Quiros, 2009). Chinese individuals still have a tremendous road in minimizing their gender roles; though, progress is being made with respect to certain circumstances. And my uncle went on to creating a group called GLIDE (Gay and Lesbians Initiating a Guide for Equality) to further promote acceptance and understanding, as well as giving extensive Ted Talks on issues he has faced.

So the pain did occur, and it did go somewhere. As it looks like, it hasn’t been completely terrible because strong voices and changes have come out of it. Though, are these negative impacts really worth the ruthless manipulation to gear someone into being who they are “expected” to be? That’s for you to decide. As far as I’ve seen, when one steps out of the many boxes drawn and understands the intentions of many powerful outlets, they can realize genuinely that no person or institution has the right to leverage or strip someone of who they admire themselves to be.

References

Florcruz, M. (2013, October 18). China’s Traditional Gender Roles Start Young. In www.ibtimes.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.

Knapp, J., Muller, B., & Quiros, A. (2009). Women, Men, and the Changing Role of Gender in Immigration . In lationstudies.nd.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2017.

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2012). Applied Social Psychology (Second ed., pp. 325-333). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

There were thousands of deaths in Orleans Parish, home of New Orleans, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Many if this who lost their lives were African American residents living in the lowest income areas of the city. There were many decisions in the series of events leading to the storm that contributed to the high death toll. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin has often been cited as one of the main reasons so many citizens were left behind (Brinkley, 2007). Rightfully so. Ray Nagin failed to issue a mandatory evacuation order in a timely manner, citing his fear of lawsuits due to lost revenue to the flourishing tourism industry in New Orleans. Once he finally issued the evacuation order he failed to accurately assess and mobilize his available resources. Sadly there were dozens of busses from the city transit authority and the school system that sat unused as desperate residents tried to find a way out of the city (Brinkley, 2007).

However there is more to the story. Residents of the lower ninth ward and New Orleans east who had grown to distrust authority figures within the city. Their houses in many cases were literally all they had. They did not have cars or money in their bank accounts. Many of these residents in these areas were resolved to ride out ‘the big one’ in their falling apart row houses. This resolve to stay even after the mandatory evacuation order was issued on August 28, 2005 was much more than the stubborn pride or lack of resources that it may seem on the surface. It is the result of over 100 years of institutional racism and corrupt politics. To understand this issue we first must understand the history of the residents in these areas.

The Great Flood

In 1926 record amounts of rainfall were recorded in the Mississippi river basin. These rains continued throughout 1927, 11.16in of rain were recorded in New Orleans in February of 1927 alone compared to the normal average of 4.4 inches (Bradshaw, 2011). On Friday April 15 1927, 14 inches fell which disabled the pumps that keep the part of the city ‘inside the bowl’ dry (Bradshaw, 2011). These record rainfall amounts caused the great Mississippi river flood. Officials in New Orleans scrambled to find a solution as the river topped its banks and the city began to flood. Officials decided that the most prudent plan of action was to demolish the Caernarvon levee in order to save the city. Officials reasoned that the affected areas were poor and would be of no great loss compared to the devastation that would happen if no action was taken. Residents were promised funds to relocate although few if any ever saw those funds. When the levee was demolished, 10,000 poor mostly African American residents were displaced as their homes were destroyed.  Many were housed in a warehouse as they tried to put the pieces of their lives back together. This caused many poor African Americans in New Orleans to become suspicious and distrusting of the federal and state government (Bradshaw, 2011). They reasoned that the federal government basically sacrificed the livelihood of thousands in St. Bernard parish in 1927 and it was only a matter of time before it happened to them. Memories of this betrayal resonated through generations. In fact some reports say that residents of the lower ninth ward remarked, on the eve of Katrina, that the government would likely blow the levee which holds the industrial canal from filling the lower ninth ward with water in order to again save New Orleans. (Brinkley, 2007).

Relocation

Economically disadvantaged African American residents of New Orleans also had other reasons to distrust city officials. They were systematically being pushed further and further away from the center of the city and pushed out of their jobs (Brinkley, 2007). New Orleans has very little industry, aside from the revenue from the shipping ports there are little to no large corporations or factories to employ the undereducated. Due to this feature, many low wage unskilled workers are employed by the tourism industry which is centered around the French quarter and the garden district. Other workers held jobs as maids or household help for the city’s elite. Historically these workers resided within the reach of the public transit system close to the city. Most of these workers were unable to afford their own transportation and relied on this public infrastructure to get to work. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, several low income housing complexes were condemned. Residents of one complex were moved to the seventh ward which caused gang fighting and skyrocketing murder rates (Brinkley, 2007). City officials realized that condensing these government housing recipients was not going to work. When other complexes closed, officials relocated residents to New Orleans East which happened to be a 10 mile drive to the city. Residents who worked low paying jobs as hotel workers, maids and janitors were essentially locked out of their jobs. They were willing to work but once they no longer had access to public transportation, they were unable to work (Brinkley, 2007). New Orleans East was so saturated with the suddenly unemployed that there were no longer any jobs to be found in the area. This left residents collecting food stamps, welfare and social security checks. They barely scraped by and certainly didn’t have the resources to leave the city at a moment’s notice. Many residents didn’t even own tv sets and even if they did hear the news of the impending storm did not have the education to really understand the implications. A reported 112,000 of New Orleans 400,000 residents did not own a car (Brinkley, 2007).

Corruption

The New Orleans police force was also another factor that effected many residents desire to not evacuate. The police force has long been cited as corrupt and has been accused of catering to the white citizens of New Orleans. The police force itself makes over 100,000 arrests in any given year (pre Katrina), that means 1 out of every 4 citizens was arrested each year (Brinkley, 2007). Low income neighborhoods such as New Orleans East and the lower ninth ward were known for guns, violence and gang activity. It can be reasoned that many of these arrests were happening in these areas. Residents had no reason to trust the police force as they often harassed members of their community, police were not seen as protectors.

Contextual Mobility

One social scientist, Robert Sampson, remarked that after 1960 African Americans became less mobile (Gladwell, 2015). They were more likely to live in the areas where they were born. Poor African American residents of the city often lived just blocks from the area where they grew up. This decreased ‘contextual mobility’ meant that these residents were less likely to make moves that would improve their social standing (Gladwell, 2015). This demonstrates the feeling many residents had of being “stuck”. Many residents of these areas lived in the same house that they were born and even where their grandparents were also born. In a city where African Americans were being discriminated against at every turn, many were hesitant to leave the only thing that was truly theirs. These residents tied both their personal and social identities to their community. Evacuating because of the storm would mean turning their backs on these identities. Unfortunately many of these residents lost their social and personal identities anyway and in many cases, lost their lives.

Due to the reduced contextual mobility of African Americans in poor New Orleans neighborhoods and the geography of the city, those who had the least ability to evacuate were the ones who needed to evacuate most. Most if not all of the lower income areas of New Orleans are well below sea level. These areas are where mayor Ray Nagin Should have been focusing. Some residents who desired to evacuate shared that there were a few busses that arrived at the 12 locations predetermined by Nagin once he issued the mandatory evacuation order. However these busses were reported to only make a few trips before stopping altogether.

Concluding Thoughts

These examples only scratch the surface of the racial inequality in the city of New Orleans that caused African Americans to be disproportionately affected by Katrina. A complex set of variables came together to create a tragic disaster that could have been avoided if city officials and government officials took the time to understand the cultural and socioeconomic factors at play in these neighborhoods. Ray Nagin hesitated to issue the evacuation order several days before the storm. This inaction was actually him taking action, it told the residents of many economically disadvantaged areas that they didn’t matter. The only thing that truly mattered to Nagin was revenue from the tourism industry. Interestingly Ray Nagin is currently serving a 10 year prison sentence for bribery and fraud that was committed during his time as Mayor of New Orleans (Times-Picune, 2014).

 

Sources:

Bradshaw, Jim “Great Flood of 1927.” In knowlouisiana.org Encyclopedia of Louisiana, edited by David Johnson. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 2010–. Article published May 13, 2011. http://www.knowlouisiana.org/entry/great-flood-of-1927.

Brinkley, D. (2007). The great deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. New York: Harper.

Gladwell, M. (2015, August 16). Starting Over. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/24/starting-over-dept-of-social-studies-malcolm-gladwell

Times-Picayune, A. G. (2014, September 08). Ray Nagin, once New Orleans’ mayor, now federal inmate No. 32751-034. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/09/ray_nagin_once_mayor_of_new_or.html

 

Everyone has the ability to perceive someone else as different from themselves. We can almost detect instantaneously that other people differ from us in terms of gender, physical appearance, dress and behavior patterns. This is based on our social cognitive mechanism called social categorization. We recognize that a person is inherently different from us or shares certain characteristics that we possess. This fact that people are different from us in one way or another is diversity.

So why is the human mind drawn towards categorizing people? The first reason is based on the fact that the traits that everyone possesses are based on genes. Therefore, people who are genetically related are likely to have many characteristics that are similar while those that are not related will not have as many characteristics. Throughout our evolutionary history, people lived in groups comprising of people who are genetically related. This enabled them to quickly recognize strangers who were related to them and strangers who were not. This was helpful in most communities because they could identify a stranger easily hence take the right measures to protect themselves.

Another reason why humans categorize is related to diseases and parasites. This is yet another reason why our ancestors were careful with who they interact with. One group of people may have a high resistance to a certain disease or parasite while another may not be as resistant. Therefore, getting that same disease could lead to the widespread death of a group of people even though the strangers may be resistant to it. This gives another reason why our ancestors limited interacting with other people – for the purpose of protecting their own.

So how can diversity influence our modern day daily interactions? For quite a while now, unequal treatment of people whom we perceive to be different from us has been rampant. In this modern era, discrimination is a problem experienced in various aspects of life. People are discriminated upon based on their religious beliefs, race, gender, age, likes and other aspects. This happens in all sorts of places: from school to work places to just out on the streets.

There have been many reports, for instance, of people failing to get hired in a certain job just because their race is different. Moreover, in other instances, though they may get hired, they may not get paid as much as the majority race at the work place. This is racial discrimination and it fails to promote diversity at the workplace. Luckily the law prohibits this and any person who feels that they’ve been discriminated may take legal action (Wetherill et al., 1997).

There have also been many cases of gender discrimination. It is not uncommon to hear that in the majority of the jobs, women are paid less than men performing the same tasks even though they may be just as good. It is also not uncommon to find more men women in most workplaces (Midwest New Media, 2017). Traditionally, in many societies, the main role of the woman was child bearing. Therefore, a majority of times women were pregnant or taking care of babies and this hindered them from performing duties that men performed. This might have led to the society believing that women were incapable of performing the duties that men did which in turn has led to the discrimination that women experience in the modern era. Luckily, the society is becoming enlightened and shifting from that perception.

Therefore, the concept that people are different from us in one way or another is diversity. We perceive people to be different based on their genetic traits and from the historical fear that they may transmit diseases and parasites that we may not be well resistant to. Diversity has led to discrimination in our modern era based on beliefs, race, gender, age, likes and other aspects. There is racial and gender discrimination in some workplaces but luckily, discrimination is diminishing.

 

References

Midwest New Media. (2017). Sex / gender discrimination. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://www.workplacefairness.org/sexual-gender-discrimination

Wetherill, R., Jaeger, B., Mayberry, S., & Thompson, S. (1997). Discrimination in the workplace. Retrieved February 15, 2017, from http://courses.cs.vt.edu/professionalism/Discrimination/discrim.html

Congratulations on your little bundle of joy! As you gaze down at your daughter (or imagine to) she will more likely than not be wearing something pink or extremely feminine. Or perhaps you imagine your son who is consumed by blue and other commonly masculine objects. Why is this? Why do we, as a culture, feel the need to cover our infants in gender specific colors and introduce them to gender specific activities and toys straight from the womb. Dressing your infant in things other than gender appropriate items is frowned upon in the western culture and is something that we as a group continue to feed into. The importance of being accepted and part of the ‘in-crowd’ is something all individuals deal with and your gender is just one of the many ways to be accepted or not.

I can unfortunately admit that, I too, have often caught myself using phrases such as ‘boys will be boys’ or ‘girls are sensitive’. What do these even mean? With a child of my own on the way, I have tried to use the things I have learned along the way in my psychology classes, to change and better fit my parenting ideas and up and coming style. I find it silly that we pressure our children from a young age to act gender appropriate. I was labeled a ‘tom-boy’ until puberty where I realized all the other girls were blossoming into ladies and I was left behind in the dirt (literally). What did I do? Of course I learned to half style my hair and apply makeup. I also left behind my beloved overalls and Bermuda shorts for short shorts and low cut tops. Is this the pressure I want my potential daughter to feel too? Of course not.

Let’s look at a specific instance that most of us are aware of due to social media; The boy with the pink zebra shoes.  5-year-old Sam wore a pair of pink-glitter-zebra print-ballet flats to his first day of preschool. No harm was done to him and he was very pleased, confident even, in the shoe style he chose for his first day of school. How dare his mother allow him to wear girls’ shoes to preschool?! The internet parenting Nazis came out of the wood work and attacked this moms Facebook post about her son. Internet journalist, Judith Warner mentions the comments she saw: It’s not ‘natural’, allowing him to wear shoes like that will ‘effect his life choices’ (Warner, 2012). Here we see the perfect example of the role gender plays in our culture and how we are to fit in.

I remember reading about Sam when it first happened. I turned to my husband to discuss how absurd this was. But in the grand scheme of social psychology it was just that, absurd, it was unnatural to the gender norms put forth by the western American culture of boys will wear boy things and act as such and same for girls in their role. Kwantes, Bergeron, and Kaushal mention that boys and girls are given verbal traits that are distinctly masculine from a young age (Kwantes, Bergeron, & Kaushal, 2012). A study mentioned by Kwantas, et. All shows that among 30 different countries they all very consistently used masculine and feminine verbiage appropriately in and out of context (Kwantes, Bergeron, & Kaushal, 2012). A universal example that most everyone can examine is the term attractive. In everyday conversations you will not call someone attractive you will typically call a woman cute/pretty and a man handsome.

So let’s move forward into adolescence and teen years. By this time your child (or you) know who you are and what you like. Do these things coincide with social norms? Are you part of a group of people similar to you with similar hobbies and interests? Your answer is probably yes. You want to be part of the in-crowd, a group of your own, people who support you and believe in you.  By now you have learned your basic western culture roles. You know that you are expected to be caring, gentle, and other feminine attributes or if you are male you are meant to be strong, determined, rugged. What is so interesting about these gender attributes is that even young children (under the age of 3) can distinguish that girls put on makeup and boys carry hammers (Fausto-Sterling, 2012). As a teen how would you describe yourself or even roles of males and females? How would you describe yourself and these things now?

In my first year of college I had a psych teacher who always had one opening question for the class. He would stand large and proud in front of the class and tell us to use attributes to describe who we are. “I am a man” he would say, “I am a teacher, a son, a brother, etc.” Attributes such as these define who we are and our social standing in society. But with attributes like these we will face stereotypes. Stereotypes are a way a culture views individual groups (Kwantes, Bergeron, & Kaushal, 2012). Kwantes et. All also mentions a key term called stereotype threat (a fear or nervousness that your behavior will exemplify a negative stereotype about your in-group) (Kwantes, Bergeron, & Kaushal, 2012). For example, people often say that ‘blondes are dumb’ but they also say that girls in general are not as smart as boys. Do you think a blonde female would feel comfortable speaking freely or answering questions in class? Probably not.

Overall, the importance for people to fit in and have a ‘group’ (also known as intergroup or in-group) starts at a very young age. The role of these groups often stabilizes our ideas as a culture of the role of genders. Young children play with their own gender beginning in grade school (Fausto-Sterling, 2012). Preschoolers know their roles when playing house and even are known to prefer blue or pink based on gender (Moet, 2014). I hope that this post gives you some insight as to what we are doing as parents and as a culture to our children. shaping them into the round pegs that society wants that will fit perfectly into their round little holes.

References

Fausto-Sterling, A. (2012). Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World. New York: Routledge.

Kwantes, C. T., Bergeron, S., & Kaushal, R. (2012). Applying Social Psychology to Diversity. In F. W. Schneider, J. A. Gruman, & L. M. Couts, Applied Social Psychology (pp. 323-347). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Moet, S. (2014, Janurary 29). NURTURING SEX AND GENDER: WESTERN CULTURE, GENDER ROLES AND STEREOTYPES. Retrieved from Sophia Moet Photographer: https://sophmoet.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/nurturing-sex-and-gender-western-culture-gender-roles-and-stereotypes/

Warner, J. (2012, December 4). The Lesson of the Boy in the Pink Ballet Flats. Retrieved from TIME: http://ideas.time.com/2012/12/14/the-lesson-of-the-boy-in-the-pink-ballet-flats/

 

 

Hello, my name is Christopher and I am a twenty-eight-year-old black male that was born in raised in Southwestern Pennsylvania. I would like to share with anybody that decides to read this blog what racism has looked like to me in my lifetime. If you are familiar with area you may know that a nickname for it is “Pennsyltucky”. One may ask why do people call it “Pennsyltucky?” Well, people in Southwestern like to do things that they believe southerners do. These things include but are not limited to; driving with a large Confederate flag on their truck, talking with a thick accent, and spewing out racial slurs and other harmful rhetoric. Before I go on in this blog, please remember that I said that they do things that they believe southerners do.

On many occasions, I witnessed people engage in blatant racism. Blatant racism is obvious in that people do not hide how they feel about a group (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). For example, I have had people stop talking to me out of nowhere because their parents did not like them talking to black people. Also, asking some girls to homecoming or prom was out of the question because their mother’s and fathers did not feel comfortable with them being out with me. But wait, it gets a bit worse. I have heard people say the n-word (I was going to type it out but I just can’t bring myself to do it) and then when they notice me, they would say “oh, I don’t mean you; you’re a good black person.”

Since 2008, I have seen ambivalent racism a lot more than blatant racism. Ambivalent racism is a bit more difficult to see than blatant racism. Ambivalent racism is when people have two views that are varying from each other (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). People that show ambivalent racism often are aware of the prejudices and discrimination that other groups face but they still feel as though everybody is on equal footing.

Anybody reading this may wonder why I chose 2008 as a mark. Well, that was when Barack Obama was sworn into office. I began to hear the sentiment that racism is not really a problem anymore because a black man has been voted into office. I had a conversation with somebody that admitted that people or color do face adversity that white people do not. However, since the country put a black man in office then people of color can become anything that they want if they just work hard for it. I do not believe that this person was inherently racist; he did not treat me any differently than anybody else around. However, he held two contradictory beliefs that stopped him from seeing the challenges that people of color face in this country.

I decided to take this opportunity to talk about racism because I wanted people to know that yes, it still exists. I believe that Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts (2012) did an excellent job of explaining the different types of racism but I wanted to further expound upon their message and make it real. I hope that anybody that studies Lesson 6 will see why diversity should be welcomed. It may not solve all our problems but it can present us with new ideas on how to solve issues facing us in today’s world.

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

The stigma behind mental health is very much alive. A taboo subject, even still in 2017, is an issue that still needs awareness and acceptance. I consider myself a very caring individual. I attempt to consider perspectives from every angle. I have friends and family who unfortunately suffer from various mental illnesses stemming from anxiety and depression, to body dysmorphic disorder, to dissociative identity disorder. Each and every illness has its high and low points. Many people are still uncomfortable with the fact that not being normal is existent. What is normal? Why can’t people accept differences? Why is shaming an individual still a thing? Why is bullying still an active thing people of all ages participate in?

 

This morning I received a message from a friend via social media. This friend, I will call her Nancy, reached out online to inquire about crisis line services. Although she was welcomed with many responses from people who came to her aid and offered assistance, she was also met with ridicule and shame. Nancy needed someone to talk to because her mental illness had been building up pressure that was about to burst over the seams. I offered my advice where I could in the hopes that one positive thing I said could combat the ten negative things eating at her mind. Nancy told me that the crisis line was tremendous in helping her exercise different options. They calmed her down and offered her websites to search for therapists and resources in her area that may be able to help her in the future if she needed it. However, she told me she woke up a hateful instant message from an individual her mother’s age telling her she was pathetic and spoiled. The woman began telling her that she had no knowledge of real world problems and that her asking for help was a cry for attention.

 

Cyber bullying is the act of attacking a person online. 30% of individuals who were cyber bulled turned toward self-harming behaviors and began having suicidal thoughts whereas 87% of youth today have witnessed cyberbullying in action (“Cyberbullying Facts and Statistics”, 2017). Although bullying can take many forms, with growing technology, the Internet is the easiest way to target others.

 

43.8 million (1 in 5) adults in America experience an episode of mental illness a year (“Mental Health by the Numbers”, 2017). When we think about this, 41% of those adults living with a mental illness received help within a given a year. That leaves a whooping 59% that have a mental illness that do not seek help (“Mental Health by the Numbers”, 2017).

 

Nancy, who may or may not have received previous help for her mental illness might not seek out a medical professional because cyberbullying that told her that it is only a cry for attention and that she was worthless in any attempt to correct her behavior or existence. Leaving individuals without medical assistance when they truly need it has negative consequences on the person and on society. Suicide is the 10^th most prominent cause of death in America and the 2^nd leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15-24 (“Mental Healthy by the Numbers”, 2017). 90% of children who commit suicide were living with a mental illness.

 

People are less likely to seek out help if they are intimidated or abused for their feelings. Although there is an increase in awareness for mental health, it still is not talked about enough for people to understand the consequences they have on others by placing inferiority where they shouldn’t.

 

Educate yourself. Educate your children. Educate your students. Save a life. Be understanding. Extend a helping hand where it is needed instead of holding someone down.

 

 

 

References:
Cyberbullying facts and statistics. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.teensafe.com/blog/cyber-bullying-facts-and-statistics/

 

Mental health by the numbers. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers

We all have a friend that complains that their stomach is flat enough, a friend that complains their thighs aren’t toned as they want it to be, or a friend that complains about a different part of their body on several occasions. These individuals resolve to attend the gym more or pick up running, or even get a physical trainer. However, more often than not, this ‘resolve’, is short term because of the initial reasons, they HATE something about their bodies. Positive support and motivation from friends, family, co-workers, and peers can make that short term resolve a long-term resolve and ultimately a life-style. A person that loves their body and seeks to improve their body will ultimately stick to accomplishing different fitness goals rather than someone who hates what they have because they won’t see results fast enough.

According to Coutts, Gruman, and Schneider, social influence is the notion that our interaction with people can cause changes in our behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values (2012). What can influence a person to love the skin they’re in? Media for one, social media to be specific. Social media is used so widely that informational appeals portraying the idea to love yourself and acknowledge your own accomplishments can help the confidence of individuals. Social media is also a way for family and friends to connect. Therefore, it is easy for family and friends to motivate a person with comments on pictures, videos, posts, etc. “In general, the presence of others has beneficial effects on our health in that the support we receive from our loved ones can help us to feel better, adopt healthier behaviors…….” (Coutts et al., 2012). Support from friends and family to love the skin we’re in, but also appreciate the ability to evolve and improve will ultimately lead to that one person’s improve health, but also possibly better health for those around as social influence can go both ways.

In addition to media, family, and friends, co-workers can greatly contribute to the motivation someone needs to improve on what they have. For example, in the beginning of my Marine Corps career at my language training school I met Major Haugen, she was a Captain at the time. Major Haugen was the leader of the detachment’s female run team. When I got to this school I had no confidence that I could ever run fast enough to practice with the team or even run an event with them because of how slow I ran. One week all females were required to try out for the team because of short manning and I didn’t do well, I ran 3 miles in 25 minutes, which wasn’t bad considering initially coming into the Marine Corps I ran 3 miles at 30 minutes. After the tryouts, Major Haugen gave us a little pep talk and the one thing she said that has always stuck with me was “Acknowledge your own accomplishments, disregard what others are doing.” That had such a significant impact on me because it allowed me to measure successes on where I’ve come from not where others are. I started with a 30 minute pace for 3 miles, but now I can run 18:20. And I attribute that to influence of Major Haugen because after her encouraging words I went to practices with the team and she would was always give me encouragement and helpful tips on how to improve. Although this was five years ago, her encouragement has stuck with me to where I’ve become so much more self-disciplined and motivated, so much so I was able to make the Marine Corps All Running team.

 

I think each one of us need to grow in some way, for some of that means improved health that can be attained with time in the gym or better physical fitness. Having the right reasons to propel a healthier lifestyle can make the change attitude and behavior more permanent, in addition to positive support from people around us.

References

Coutts, L. M., Gruman, J. A., & Schneider, F. W. 2012. Applied Social Psychology: Understand and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2^nd Ed). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.

 

Adapting Healthier Behavior

In the world in which we live in, it is so easy to pick up on a lot of bad habits that can negatively impact our health. We live in a world that promotes unhealthy behaviors and are less favorable of healthier choices. It is much harder to adapt to a healthier lifestyle, however with the correct knowledge, commitment, and resources it can definitely be accomplished.

Last year my dad went through a bout of feeling a very ill. He would experience extreme fatigue, excessive thirst/dry mouth, blurriness and loss of vision at times. My dad has always been one to be on the go and live a very fast paced lifestyle. However, these symptoms were beginning to take a huge toll on his ability to function as he normally would. He decided to take a trip to the doctors only to discover that what he had been experiencing was the result of getting diabetes. This came as a shock to him and to our family. The doctor reassured him that this was a very manageable disease. However, it would take a lot of commitment, preparation, and good decision making on how and what he put into his body. Prior to receiving this news my dad payed little interest into what he ate. Due to the nature of his schedule, he would eat donuts everyday for breakfast, consume a lot of sweets, bread and soda throughout the day and spend no time exercising and taking care of himself. In addition, he was also a highly stressed individual who has always dealt with the weight of juggling too many things. In the beginning of hearing this news, my dad didn’t take changing his lifestyle serious and continued to engage in things that would negatively impact his health. This resulted in the worsening of his condition which did not work out in his favor.

After going through the reading in this lessons I came across the health belief model. This model simply suggests that that the actions we take to positively impact our health are strongly influenced by factors that include: health values, perceived susceptibility to illness, perceptions of illness severity, expectation of treatment success,self efficacy, perceived barriers and benefits and cues to action. (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2005) These various factors play a role in how one will approach either changing or not changing their negative behavior.

Initially, in my dads case, he somewhat had some type of knowledge of the severity of the illness because it was something that ran in his family and also something that had  plagued a few of his sibiings. Having this knowledge did not effect his way of thinking. However, I feel that if my dad would have had interest in practicing good health habits initially it could have possibly prevented or delayed him getting this diagnosis.

Overtime, my dad eventually began to start changing his behaviors. When asked what influenced his change, he started to mention the he had been losing a lot of friends lately to various diseases and illness. In addition I (his daughter), recently had a son and he stressed how it is important to him to watch his grandchild grow up. With that notion, it is important for him to take care of his health so that he can be around for his grandchild. Considering these cues to action really helped my dad to put things into perspective in his life. He began to develop a healthier lifestyle by drastically cutting down on the sweets, eating healthier choices, altering his carbohydrate intake and by making exercise a major part of his daily routine. He is more in tune with his health and regularly attends nutrition conferences.

Although my dad could have possibly taken preventative measures before getting this diagnosis, it sometimes takes going through issues such as this to change our way of thinking. It not only helped him adapt to a healthier lifestyle, but it instilled some type of awareness for me and my siblings so that we can hopefully take preventative measures to protect our health and future.

                                                                            Works Cited

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2005). Applied social psychology: understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

As we have seen in our class so far, this semester, Applied Social Psychology has many applications in our everyday life. Lesson five taught us about Applied Social Psychology being used for health purposes. Health Psychology focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing illness (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). Applied Social Psychology is not only used in hospitals and doctor’s offices but one can see health interventions through media, family and peers, schools, the workplace, etc.

The Biomedical model of health and illness is a set of theories that guided the medical field to be able to take on major illnesses. The biomedical model has the medical field study one’s biological functioning in order to explain what type of illness a person has and what type of treatment can be used to fix it (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). However, despite the biomedical model’s advantages, it does not show the entire picture of health and illness. It does not include people’s interactions with their peers and family or how one patient may handle their illness psychologically different from another patient with the same disease.

This is where the Biopsychosocial model needs to be introduced. The Biopsychosocial model of health takes the Biomedical model two steps further. It looks at a person’s biology as well as their social and psychological factors (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). The Biopsychosocial model takes into account a person’s genetics and how they physically hold up to a disease, their mental state, and their social interactions. It takes a deep look into a person’s entire lifestyle from what they are made of and what they do from day to day.

Within the Biopsychosocial model of health promoting health and preventing illness are important tenets. I can attest to the importance of health promotion. I am proud to say that I have never used an illegal drug; I haven’t even so much as thought about it. I have benefitted from primary prevention. Primary prevention is an intervention to help prevent disease and illness before it happens (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012).

I remember being in sixth grade and being so excited to be in D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). We had an officer come in from the local police station every Friday to teach about the dangers of abusing drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. I paid close attention to the officer’s lessons. My mind was opened to scary problems that I did not know existed. In the tenth grade, the school’s biology teacher had a serious of videos and lessons that looked deeper into the world of drug and alcohol abuse. These lessons gave students hard facts about what could happen if they were to abuse drugs. D.A.R.E. had a profound effect on me. However, the lessons in the tenth grade was what sealed it for me. After learning more about drugs, I would not even give a thought to trying them. The Biopsychosocial model of health is a major reason why I have never even attempted to try a hard, illegal drug.

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

Although the prevalence of smoking cigarettes has decreased in recent decades, 15% of Americans still choose to smoke (CDC, 2016). We all know smoking can lead to premature death by lung cancer (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012), and yet many of us choose to light up anyway. In fact, I was once a pack-or-two-a-day smoker. What could have ever caused me, a fairly intelligent and rational person, to begin? More importantly, what enabled me to kick the habit? I didn’t realize it then, but social psychological principles can help to explain both.

I smoked for a decade before I quit when I was 21 (you can do the math to figure out just how young I was when I started). Of course any doctor I saw voiced their concern for my health, my family’s health, and even my pet’s health! They couldn’t imagine how I began smoking so young, and I was often asked about it. To be honest, my “first time” was very underwhelming. I was hanging out with my friend in her parents’ garage, and her older sister had some friends over as well. They were all smoking, and, wanting to be cool (especially in front of the boys in the group), I took a drag of someone’s cigarette. This social influence encouraged me to start, and once I became a smoker, my social circle filled only with those who shared the same habit. I never felt directly persuaded to start smoking (it was me who made that choice), and I never persuaded anyone else to begin, but I do feel that I was primed to become a smoker.

Not only did I begin smoking young, which is a risk factor for becoming a constant smoker (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012), but my mom also was a heavy smoker. Parental influence can be a strong force in encouraging healthy behavior (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012), but a parent modeling bad health can encourage bad choices on the child’s part. My mom, of course, told me that I should never smoke, and others echoed those sentiments. In school, a local police officer came in to speak to us about drugs and alcohol in a familiar program called D.A.R.E. This program uses an informational approach to keep kids from using illegal drugs and other substances, and encourages healthy behavior. I do not recall ever seeing fear appeals in regards to smoking, at least not like we have today with pictures of blackened lungs or people that are toothless. Clearly well-meaning doctors, family, and city officials did nothing to stop my smoking as I continued on.

For the next decade or so, I smoked for different reasons—because it allowed me to be more social, because it gave me something to do, because it made me feel good. My brain was physically affected by the chemicals in the cigarettes, my addiction forcing me to need another and all the while my rational self knew I was slowly committing suicide. But the truth was, I did not want to quit, at least not until I was ready. I was able to get rid of my dissonance by claiming I could reverse the health risks before they were a problem, and that so-and-so smoked for years and lived to be X years old. I’ll be fine! Then one day I said enough is enough. I read something in one of my studies that talked about the influence a parent has on a child—that the child is more likely to do the things they see their parents doing (good or bad). My daughter had already started mimicking me, using candy or pens to pretend she was smoking. This made me really uncomfortable, but I knew that if I quit while she was so young, she would not even remember mommy being a smoker. I quit that day, cold turkey, and have not looked back.

My daughter (now 7) asked me once why Nana (my mother) smokes but I do not. I told her the same things my mom told me, but as a non-smoker, I know my message can truly help to prevent her from lighting up. She has an advantage that I did not have—fewer people are smoking today—but with the new ways to smoke (e.g., “vaping” or electronic cigarettes) there are different dangers that I need to protect her from. I could use fear tactics to convince her not to smoke, but they do not always work as intended (Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts, 2012). I can try to limit her social circle, but in times of transition she is more likely to try new things anyway. Luckily for me, I have a few years before I have to worry about it. And since I no longer smoke, I know that I have a long life ahead of me as well.

 

 

 

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Smoking & tobacco use. Retrieved         from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/

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

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a debilitating mental health diagnosis that affects millions of adults in the United States.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 6.8% of adults in the United States suffer from social phobia, and 29.9% of those cases are classified as severe.

What is social anxiety disorder?  Social anxiety disorder is defined by the DSM-V as “marked fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others.”  People who experience social anxiety are plagued by fear of rejection, embarrassment, and humiliation, even when the situation is not something that healthy adults would consider daunting.  Individuals with social phobia are diagnosed with social anxiety disorder if symptoms persist for more than 6 months and if it causes them significant distress.  In children, these symptoms are considered social anxiety only if they occur in situations with their peers.

What causes social anxiety disorder? The average age of onset for social phobia is 13 years of age, and is typically preceded by a stressful or humiliating experience.  While there may be some genetic causes, this information implicates that a traumatic childhood event may be a likely factor in the development of social phobias.  Self-presentation theory suggests that anxiety is caused by the belief that, in social situations, there is a real or perceived risk involved when one does not make a good impression on others.    The higher the perceived risk, the worse the anxiety becomes.  School aged children are under great pressure to appear desirable to their peers and, if they do not, they risk becoming targets of bullying.  Let’s explore the possible impact that bullying may have on the development of social anxiety disorder.

A study by McCabe et. al (2003) found that, compared to adults who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder and agoraphobia, individuals with social phobia reported up to 57% more childhood bullying.  A study by Craig (1998) also shows correlation between bullying and increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, and suggests that the development of anxiety helps perpetuate a negative cycle of bullying in which helplessness is learned through repeated incidents.  Abrahamson et. al (as cited by Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012) developed a model called the attributional reformulation of the learned helplessness theory of depression.  This theory proposes that an individual may be depressed due to the belief that things are out of their control, that bad things that happen are their own fault, and that the consequences of those things will impact their entire life.

If the development of social anxiety disorder is influenced by experiences with bullying, what can be done to negate the effects?  In a perfect world, the best solution would be to stop bullies in their tracks, before the damage can be done.  However, that is not a feasible solution since adult authority figures are not always present when bullying takes place.  A study conducted by DeRosier (2004) introduced an intervention in which participants had an active role in learning prosocial behavior and attitudes, behavioral and cognitive social skills, and strategies for coping with bullying and peer pressure.  They learned these things through role playing, modeling, and other hands-on activities.  The results showed that the children had higher self-esteem, greater social self-efficacy, and lower social anxiety.

The Penn Resiliency Program (Schneider, et. al, 2012) offers a similar solution- building confidence through cognitive restructuring and skill acquisition:

Cognitive restructuring: Middle school aged children viewed the last frame of a cartoon that had a character with either a smile or frown on its face, and were asked to come up with an explanation for that outcome.  The purpose of this was to associate one’s behavior with the feelings that resulted.  They also viewed skits in which characters attributed negative outcomes to either their own failings or to outside forces.  This illustrated the different ways of explaining negative outcome, including the possibility that many things are not necessarily their fault or even within their control.

Skill acquisition:  Sometimes changing one’s thought process alone is not enough to resolve negative feelings.  The Penn Resiliency study also taught children valuable problem-solving skills that included being more assertive and negotiating with others.  Once again, these skills were presented through the cartoon medium to help simplify things for the young participants.

Results:  Children who experienced both cognitive restructuring and skill acquisition were able to be less pessimistic in terms of explaining negative outcomes and their depressive symptoms were reduced.  These effects lasted for 3 years after the conclusion of the study.

Evidence suggests that an effective way to help school age children avoid and cope with bullying is to show them.  Through modeling, role playing, and other hands-on approaches, we can teach children how to navigate through troublesome school experiences which, in turn, is likely to help some avoid developing social anxiety disorder that persists throughout adulthood.

 

 

 

References:

McCabe, R. E., Anthony, M. M., Summerfeldt, L. J., Liss, A., & Swinson, R. P. (2003). Preliminary Examination of the Relationship Between Anxiety Disorders in Adults and Self-Reported History of Teasing or Bullying Experiences. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 32(4), 187-193.

Craig, W. M. (1998). The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety, and aggression in elementary school children. Personality and individual differences, 24(1), 123-130.

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. (2013). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved February 9, 2017, from https://psicovalero.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/dsm-v-ingles-manual-diagnc3b3stico-y-estadc3adstico-de-los-trastornos-mentales.pdf.

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

DeRosier, M. E. (2004). Building Relationships and Combating Bullying: Effectiveness of a School-Based Social Skills Group Intervention. Journal Of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 33(1), 196-201.

[Untitled illustration of bullying].  Retrieved February 10, 2017 from http://simpleacts.org/bullying-prevention/category/anti-bullying/

Good Evening,

Do I need a thirty-minute hot shower? Can I still feel refreshed with a five-seven minute shower? Water will never be scarce, right? Is it possible that cutting back on long showers can allow my great great grandchildren to enjoy water as a resource? Delaying gratification of an act create a dilemma for some because the effect is so long term. The concept of resource dilemma is understood to be “doing something that uses a limited natural resource that would make life easier, more fun, or more comfortable” (Coutts, Gruman, and Schneider, 2012). Walter Mischel’s philosophy of the marshmallow effect puts into perspective the resource dilemma and the possible efforts to mitigate them.

One common factor in the resource dilemma is self-control or the lack thereof. Coutts et. Al note that “resource dilemma are a matter of life and death for all life on the planet” (2012), emphasizing the long-term effect of delaying gratification. The long-term effect being to preserve resources for generations beyond your existence. Living in California for the past few years has really made it easier to comprehend water as being a limited resource. It really dawned on me when I once went to hike the Three Sister Waterfall in Descanso, California and the “waterfall” was so pathetic it could be compared to water falling from a shower head. Walter Mischel’s Marshmallow test was created to explore the nature of willpower. The test was that a child was presented with a marshmallow, or cookie or some treat, there were variations of the test, and given a choice: Eat this one now, or wait and enjoy two later (Mischel, 2014). His experiment showed that many children were able to execute control and delay gratification to enjoy two cookies, but there were also those that dug right in and sought instant gratification of the one cookie.

The children that delayed the gratification did so with deliberate actions utilizing executive function. According to Mischel, executive function is critical for self-control as it allows us to exert conscious control of thoughts, impulses, actions, and emotions; it gives us the freedom to inhibit and cool impulsive urges (2014). The fact that preschoolers without any idea of what this meant was able to exercise self-control with the executive function, shows that adults can do the same to mitigate the resource dilemma. The participants in this experiment had different methods for exercising self control, some talked themselves through it, some distracted themselves, some looked at the cookie as a reminder, so on and so forth. I mention this because we can use different methods or compromises as to conserve limited resources for long-term rewards. For example, taking a 7 minute hot shower as opposed to a 30 minute hot shower.

Mischel notes the three features of successful use of the executive function are: keeping mind the goal and contingency, monitoring the progress toward said goal and making necessary corrections, and inhibiting impulsive responses. That being said, I believe that the strategy of “focusing on loss rather than gain” for inducing pro-environment behavior (Coutts et. al, 2012) allows people to tackle all three features of the executive function, in turn promoting self-control.

References
Coutts, L. M., Gruman, J. A., & Schneider, F. W. 2012. Applied Social Psychology: Understand and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd Ed). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
Mischel, Walter. 2014. The Marshmallow Test: Understanding Self-Control and How to Master it. London: Transworld Publishers.

Have you ever noticed that when you are in a bad mood you reach for the ‘junk food’? You know the kind, greasy, over-processed, boxed up good stuff that lines the shelves of the supermarket. Many people have their go to feel good food such as chocolate or a glass of wine. What you may not know is that there is an actual scientific reason for why you reach for the bad foods when in a bad mood and reach for the good food when in a good mood.

Many studies have been done in regards to ‘eating your feelings’. A study done by Meryl Gardner, a marketing professor at the University of Delaware, shows that there is a consistent positive correlation between feeling bad and eating unhealthy (Beck, 2014). What is so interesting about this is that though people tend to reach for unhealthy food when in a negative mood, the type of food ranged from cookies to candy and anything in between.

So does our mood affect what we eat or does what we eat affect our mood? Depending on the study it can be both ways. Julie Beck mentions that no matter the mood, sweets and sugary foods make us feel better (Beck, 2014). Looking at this, you would say that eating unhealthy food causes a good mood. But she also mentions that this happiness is not genuine and very short lived. You may feel guilt for eating more junk food than planned or you could just completely crash from the sugar high, both leaving you unhappy. But a study done in 2010 showed that people in a bad mood are more likely to reach for chocolate over grapes showing that our mood will very well inhibit our eating patterns. So why is that?

Research has shown that the brain releases b-endorphins (a natural pleasure chemical) when we eat our favorite foods. Could this be the reason we reach for unhealthy foods to please our negative mood? Researchers say, possibly!  Lazarus and Folkman created a model called the “Transactional Model of Stress” which can be directly implemented here (Lafreniere & Cramer, 2012). First you would need a stressor which can range from some slight annoyance on a day to day basis (traffic, spilled coffee, crying baby) or a large life changing event (death, divorce, birth). A stressor will vary from person to person. Second is the appraisal which is the response to the stressor. This can be broken down into two sub-categories; threats (potentially harmful) and challenges (an obstacle to overcome). In this specific case, bad mood causing us to eat bad food, the stressor of your choice would be met with the challenges appraisal.

Now that we have decided on our stressor and our type of appraiser we will need to define our coping style. Coping, as told by Lafreniere and Cramer (2012), is the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors brought on by stressors. There are thousands of coping mechanisms but in regards to the transactional model of stress you will see problem focused (dealing with the problem directly) or emotion focused (regulating emotions to minimize distress). Looking back on our stressor, accompanied by being a challenge to overcome, we will come to decide that we will face our stressor head on with emotion focused coping. We will try to minimize our stress by eating food to make us feel better. The final step is health outcomes.   Lafreniere and Cramer (2012) said, “People who experience a great deal of stress are those who show poor coping mechanisms”.

We have now seen that our idea of ‘emotional eating’ has some backing to it though we do not know exactly what causes what. We can chalk it up to the age old question; what came first, the chicken or the egg? Some studies suggest mood dictates our eating habits while other suggest eating habits dictate our mood. All we know for sure is that eating is an important part of human nature and is not taken lightly. Lazarus and Folkman showed us that there is a track we take as human beings to distinguish our stressors and decide how to handle them (though we do not notice this directly). So next time you reach for those cookies on a sad day remember to ask yourself, am I eating this because I am sad and can I make a better choice?

 

References

Beck, J. (2014, March 6). Our Moods, Our Foods. Retrieved from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/our-moods-our-foods/284238/

Lafreniere, K. D., & Cramer, K. M. (2012). Applying Social Psychology to Health. In F. W. Schneider, J. A. Gruman, & L. M. Coutts, Applied Social Psychology (pp. 165-190). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.

 

 

Blog-Lesson 4 (Hubler)

Our lesson last week was applying social psychology to the environment. We were discussing some of the environmental issues facing campuses today and coming up with some intervention strategies to try to help combat such environmental issues. Penn State has made great strides in the fight against environmental issues such as electricity usage and food and landscape waste. “Penn State has reduced its electrical usage by about 7 percent since 2005, avoiding $5 million annually in utility costs. Twenty-two thousand gallons of used cooking oil are refined yearly into fuel for campus vehicles and pieces of equipment. More than 3,000 tons of food and landscaping waste are converted into 1,200 tons of compost” (Pennsylvania State University, (n.d.)).

My fellow classmates came up with a lot of interesting interventions to help with combatting a lot of different environmental issues our campuses face. I personally came up with an intervention strategy for saving on electrical usage by college campuses by implementing the use of more solar panels and solar energy.

Throughout our discussion we learned that within the campus community, the people of the campuses face, what are called, resource dilemmas. Resource dilemmas are situations in which a person must choose between self-interest and the interests of the community or environment (Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M., 2012). I was thinking about this in terms of college campuses and maybe another way to encourage better environmental habits.

Assuming social identity theory could apply because students typically choose a specific university or college to attend and would therefore take pride in belonging to such a community; what if the college or university employed the use of tuition cost incentives to help encourage better habits such as recycling, conserving energy, conserving water and etc. The more money the students save the university or college in environmental expenses by actively engaging in better habits the lower tuition could be to attend that school. The school could also employ a comparison feedback tactic going along with the social comparison theory in where comparing their progress to that of surrounding schools would also help encourage better habits.

This was just an idea I had in continuation with our discussion from our lesson on applying social psychology to the environment. I would love to hear your comments and feedback on whether this strategy sounds feasible or could work in theory, or whether it would be something my fellow students would be interested in looking into!

References:

Pennsylvania State University (n.d.). green.psu.edu. Retrieved online at: sustainability.psu.edu

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. ISBN 978-1412976381

What is health psychology and who is considered healthy? Every one of us has at some point said I want to be healthier. I want to work out more, eat more nutritional meals and so on. But what is considered “healthy” well that all depends on who you ask.

Health psychology is the examination of psychological influences on a person’s physical health (Schneider et al., 2011). In other words it is a field in psychology that studies how to promote a healthier life style. Also, it studies the prevention of certain illnesses associated with a lack of healthy habits. According to a Physician Assistant I work with his definition of health is “a lack of illness by practicing good health habits”(J. Bautista, personal communication, February 7, 2017). What does this mean well according to Mr. Bautista it is a way of life some one who eats healthy and practices regular physical activity.

Which I tend to agree with his definition, I consider myself somewhat healthy. You might ask yourself how can someone be somewhat healthy? Well I have no illnesses that I know of and I do a yearly physical to verify. However I don’t practice much physical activity on a daily basis besides when I go on an occasional hike. I try to eat as healthy as I can which I’m pretty good at that. The problem is that if I like the food I tend to eat a lot more of the healthy food which them may fall in to the over eating category.

Where can one go to feel motivated to become healthier? Well in our society motivation is all around us its on our smart phones, on TV, even at your local Baskin Robbins window at least in my local shop it is. What I mean is that there is health promotions all around us we just need to look. A health promotion can be a commercial; a flyer on a widow or it can be your best friend. Anything that motivates you to become a better healthier you is a type of health promotion.

According to (Schneider et al., 2011) there are five steps every one takes when changing health behaviors. 1) Precontemplation: in this step the individual may not perceive their lack of health habits or decides not to remedy what they observe. 2) Contemplation: Here the individual is aware of the fault and is considering a possible change to remedy any fault they might perceive. One can be stuck in this step for a very long time anywhere between a few months to several years (Schneider et al., 2011). 3) Preparation: is what it sounds like the individual prepares to take action. They come up with a plan to assist in the success of the implementation. 4) In this step, which is, action is where the individuals implement their change. For example you decide to quit drinking or smoking at this stage you are no longer smoking or drinking. 5) The final step is maintenance here the participants work every day to maintain their health behavior change.

Changing our behavior is hard especially after years of the same routine. There are times when one might deviate from the new change. However what is important is that one can get back to the new lifestyle. As long as you keep moving forward and not focusing on the deviations I believe that any new health change can succeed.

Schneider, Frank W., Gruman, Jamie A.,Coutts, Larry. M.(2011). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second ed., ch8).

Greetings Everyone!

This week’s topic for Lesson 4 of Psych 424 was the Environment! I know some people may think, what does the environment have to do with Psychology? The fact is, our environment will affect a lot of our behavior, attitudes and feelings. Our environment is crucial to our daily lives.

Think about this small example: You wake up in the morning and leave for work or school. It’s cold, raining and now you are stuck in traffic and could potentially be late! These variables are just enough damper anyone’s mood. That initial negative mood from the beginning of the morning could be enough to cause a domino effect for the rest of the day. Our personal feelings influence our behavior, our behavior influences the environment, and essentially the environment will influence our personal feelings. This triangular affect is what psychologist, Bandura, described as triadic reciprocal determinism (1986).

The previous example was minor compared to this week’s lesson, which discussed how individuals must choose between their own interests and that of the greater community (Stangor, 2012). The lesson’s commentary gave the examples of the resource dilemma of water consumption with the vast number of consumers on the planet and how every individual’s use of water must be considered. Also, the example of the amount of children families have, may appear as a social dilemma because some believe that the planet’s natural resources are depleting quickly and there are not enough to support society.

While some individuals feel that people should do what they choose, others may agree with the equity theory. Stangor, 2012 explains that equity theory focuses on the thought that people’s behaviors are influenced by other individual’s views and social cost and rewards should be fair (pg. 320). This may present the question, do individuals stop and think about their implications on society and the environment and how they may help or harm it?

This lesson focused a lot about what role people play in the environment and vice versa, and what strategically can be done to better society for everyone. Hopefully as a whole and with the benefits of applied psychology, a positive solution will be made to ease environmental concerns.

Best Regards!

 

References:

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A. & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psycholgy. 2^nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Productions, Inc.

Rochelle Harris

 

As a California resident, I have been affected by the recent implantation of California Proposition 67, also known as the plastic bag ban. This proposition made paper and plastic bags distributed by stores purchasable to the shoppers. Who did this affect? Any and all grocery stores, retail stores with a pharmacy, convenience stores, food marts, and liquor stores no longer provide free single use bags for customers (Luna, n.d.).

Within the United States alone, over 100 billion plastic bags are used per year (“Reduce Waste Through Reusing a Shopping Bag”, n.d.). There are many environmental effects that go hand-in-hand with the creation, development, and disposal of plastic bags. People often liter and leave their garbage in public. This circulates before and if it gets picked up. This then influences others that this type of behavior is acceptable, even unintentionally. Instead of being recycled, most plastic ends up at the local landfill. According to Bond (n.d.), “In 2011, Americans produced around 250 million tons of waste, 32 millions of that solid waste was plastic” (). Although this accounts for more plastic than just plastic bags, consider the amounts of bags that are thrown by each family every day within the United States alone. That number is incredible. Since California shares it’s existence with the ocean, it is not surprising that plastic is one of the largest sources of ocean liter. This puts all of the ocean and it’s surrounding creatures at risk. Ocean debris kills around 1 million sea birds, as well as 100,000 marine animals that include whales, seals and turtles (“Why Use Reusable Shopping Bags”, 2016).

By identifying that there was an issue, plastic consumption and waste, California took a stand to create a solution that could provide relief over time with the intervention of a plastic bag ban. The needs assessment proved that there was a considerable amount of concern about the amount of plastic being used.

There are several possible ways to solve this issue. Understanding the precipitating and perpetuating factors helps narrow down a solution that will be most effective. Establishments providing free and numerous bags to customers increased the use of plastic. If the plastic bag ban were implemented, that would allow for establishments to charge a minimum of ten cents per bag bought for use and promote the idea of reusable bags to better the environment.

One of the overall goals of the plastic bag ban was to promote the use of reusable shopping bags. For example, my local Albertsons has large signs attached to the outdoor cart corals with bright words informing customers to, “Don’t forget your bags!!” They designed this intervention by allowing Proposition 67 to be voted on by California residents. It was passed. California Proposition 65 was also considered on the ballot. Proposition 65 was for the dedication of revenue from disposable bag sales to go to a special wildlife conservation fund. Although it did not pass, the money from sales of plastic bags was intended for use toward covering costs and educating consumers on the subject (“California Proposition 65, Dedication of Revenue from Disposable Bag Sales to Wildlife Conservation Fund (2016)”, n.d.).

Implementing the ban has now been in full effect. Although it has only been going for a few months, if we reflect upon other cities and their positive results, we can speculate how well it can go for the rest of California. San Jose has had a plastic bag ban in place and has seen a reduction of litter. This has saved taxpayer money in terms of not having to pick up the liter, as well as seeing a reduction in clogged storm drains (Rogers, 2017).

Although the task of remembering to bring your reusable bags into stores can be tiresome, the effects on the environment are going to be better in the long run. We can save money, have a cleaner environment, and save animals. The option to still use plastic/paper bags is still available, for a small fee. Why not remember your bags next time?

 

References:

 

Bond, S. (n.d.). Where do plastic bags go?. Retrieved from http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/10/voters-approve-plastic-bag-ban-whats-happens-next/

California proposition 65, dedication of revenue from disposable bag sales to wildlife conservation fund (2016). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_65,_Dedication_of_Revenue_from_Disposable_Bag_Sales_to_Wildlife_Conservation_Fund_(2016)

California proposition 67, plastic bag ban veto referendum (2016). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_67,_Plastic_Bag_Ban_Veto_Referendum_(2016)

Luna, T. (n.d.). Californians say farewell to the plastic bag. Retrieved from http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article113898813.html

Reduce waste through reusing a shopping bag. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ci.stillwater.mn.us/index.asp?SEC=73D7CC3D-BB6C-4CF8-89E9-72F8A7C96402&Type=B_BASIC

Rogers, P. (2017). Voters approve plastic bag ban: what’s happens next?. Retrieved from http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/10/voters-approve-plastic-bag-ban-whats-happens-next/

Why use reusable shopping bags. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.reusethisbag.com/why.php

February 3, 2017 by Lia Stoffle

When we consider of the process designing a space, whether it be a building, a pavilion, or an office, it is often associated with architects and interior designers. The common perception surrounds a “formal design” approach typically involving a “large scale” endeavor and a “paying client” (Schneider, Gruman & Coutts, 2012, pp. 314). Peering past the superficial, there are also design processes which focus on the needs and wants of the individuals who will be occupying the space. The roots of this process, called social design, lie within the desire to create beneficial designs for “the unfortunate” (Schneider et al., 2012, pp. 315). There are, of course, expert professionals with careers in social design, however the compassionate and empathetic roots of the practice enable a multitude of caring people to use elements of social design throughout their daily lives. A charismatic teacher in the speech and language department of an elementary school went above and beyond to create special furniture for her students, and is the inspiration for this article. I hope this information can shed light on the valiant health professionals and educators who take the opportunity to step into the shoes of a social designer to enhance the environment for their clients and students. Continue reading →

What is the relationship between the environment and human behavior? Environmental psychologists study this question in particular, by seeking to understand how the physical environment affects our behavior and well-being, and how our behavior affects the environment (Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts, 2012). For example, pollution, a component of the physical environment, absolutely can affect our well-being and health. Ozone pollution can have unfavorable effects on humans including shortness of breath, coughing, damage to the airways, damaging the lungs, and making lungs more susceptible to infection (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2016). Meanwhile, us taking the action to recycle affects the quality of our environment. Recycling and using recycled products saves a substantial amount of energy considering it takes less energy to recycle products, than it would to create new materials entirely. In turn, the action of recycling helps battle climate change, one of the biggest threats our planet faces.

If humans can have direct effects on the environment, are we responsible for climate change? A lot of hard evidence suggests, yes. Every once in awhile, our planet warms from natural causes. This can occur from events like volcanic activity, or a change in solar output. However, recent evidence shows climate change is occurring too drastically to be solely explained through natural means. Humans have made remarkable advancements in technology by creating more automobiles, machines, factories, etc. But this revolution is not all positive. We have seen a rapid increase in greenhouse gas emissions over the last century. Sources of greenhouse gasses include automobiles, planes, factory farming and agriculture, electricity, and industrial production. The issue with greenhouse gasses is that they absorb and emit heat. Abundant greenhouse gases in our atmosphere include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases (EPA, 2017). When there are large quantities of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, the planet is going to get gradually warmer. 

What happens as a result of climate change? Believe it or not, we are already experiencing some very damaging effects of climate change. Heat waves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and loss of sea ice just to name a few (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], 2017). Scientists predict we will begin to experience even more harmful effects of climate change in the future. At the current rate we are going, the Arctic sea ice is expected to disappear entirely by the end of the century. The current effects we are seeing are also expected to intensify. An even greater problem is the fact that plants and animals are unable to adapt to the quickly changing environment, and are dying off. As a result of climate change, animals’ habitats are becoming completely inhabitable. We are seeing a rapid loss of species which will inevitably effect the natural flow of the biosphere and the individual ecosystems it is composed of.

What can we do to slow down the effects of climate change? The first, and most simple response is we need to recognize climate change is a real threat to our planet, and even our existence. Given the recent political shift that has occurred in the United States, climate change and environmental issues do not appear to be a prime concern to some individuals. The blunt truth is we do not have time to wait. Climate change has already started to take its toll on the planet, and ignoring it is no help to anyone. As I stated above, human behavior has the potential to make dramatic changes to the environment. Practicing beneficial behaviors such as engaging in environmental activism, recycling, conserving energy, decreasing water use, and decreasing the frequency of automobile use, are all useful measures to take regarding this issue. You can also research ways to reduce your carbon footprint. As a vegan, I always advise people to cut down on meat, dairy, and egg consumption given the large toll agriculture takes on water loss and the environment in general. If we collectively work to battle this giant threat to our environment, we may be able to slow, and even reverse the effects of climate change.

 

References

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)., (2017, January 31). Consequences of Climate Change. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from www.nasa.gov

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

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)., (2016, March 4). Health Effects of Ozone Pollution. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from www.epa.gov

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)., (2017, January 20). Overview of Greenhouse Gases. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from www.epa.gov

Most Americans likely know about droughts in California or record flooding in many parts of the nation. The water crisis in California frequently makes the news and many are concerned about the long term sustainability of agriculture in that region. In fact, the American population used enough bottled water in 2014 to supply the city of Los Angeles with water for over three weeks (IWBA). Bottled water consumption has long been targeted as a social problem. This is mainly because it creates non-biodegradable waste. Bottled water drinkers are often urged to use reusable bottles. Within the past few years, bottled water companies have been under fire for bottling water taken from an already parched California. While the actual amount of water being bottled from California is relatively small, companies are still taking precious water resources from a state already in the midst of a water crisis. The biggest contributor to water shortages in California is agriculture which is responsible for over 80% of water usage in the state, residents only use about 13% of the total water usage (IWBA).

However, many people fail to think about how climate change and the resulting drought conditions effect developing countries on the continent of Africa. California has expensive and extensive infrastructure to help mitigate the effects of reduced precipitation but many African nations don’t have that luxury. Looking at how these countries deal with record low precipitation rates can give us a glimpse of what Americans may face if we don’t start planning for the future. Many Americans see this infrastructure as infallible without realizing that they need to do their part to reduce consumption. Too many people are contributing to what will eventually become a tragedy of the commons. Let’s take a look at a different part of the world and see how they are dealing with severe drought and water shortage.

In a New York Times article titled “Climate Change Hits Hard in Zambia, an African Success Story” published on April 12, 2016, author Norimitsu Onishi outlines some of the successes and failures Zambia has faced recently. The Kariba is one of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams, suppling power across the country (Onishi, 2016). This marvel of modern engineering has been responsible for stability and economic growth throughout the country. As of the publishing of this article, water levels in the dam have reached record lows causing economic struggles (Onishi, 2016). Country officials are now requesting monetary aid and are fully realizing the effect that climate change is playing in this situation. Many developing countries on the African continent have made great progress towards economic stability in recent decades but that struggle towards independence is getting harder every year. The situation is dire, many of Africa’s developing nations are fragile and fledgling and the fact that climate change is currently hitting them hardest is setting many countries back. The only choice is to once again adapt, historically rainfall has decreased by 2.3 percent each decade and temperatures have risen by about 1.3 degrees Celsius (Onishi, 2016). Drought conditions lead to flooding and when the rain finally does fall, these countries are in great need of infrastructure to mitigate these effects, something that they cannot currently afford especially with the falling price of commodities. Although the outcome is unclear, it is clear that the situation is only going to get worse. This is a small glimpse of what California and many other parts of the country may be facing in the future if people don’t begin to take actions that benefit the greater good of society rather than actions that benefit themselves. This long term water crisis is happening in other parts of Africa as well.

According to NASA Climate, Lake Chad, one of Africa’s largest bodies of freshwater is disappearing (NASA). Recent imaging and climate reports indicate that this lake has shrunk to 1/20^th of its original size over the last 35 years (NASA). Part of the reason for this is the increased demand for water for agriculture, irrigation takes the water from the lake and transports it to drier areas. But the real problem is the lack of rainfall to replenish the water levels in the lake. According to research resented by climatologist Ben Cook, at the 2011 American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco, his models show that drought likely lead to the collapse of many ancient civilizations such as the Mayas (NASA). These civilizations converted wooded areas into farmland which increased the albedo resulting in lower levels of precipitation (NASA). Although the cause is different in Africa the result may be the same if drastic changes are not made in how high emissions countries manage their impact on the climate. Researcher Justin Sheffield and his team at Princeton University have run hydrological simulations and found that the total area that is being effected by drought had not changed in the past 50 years but the frequency of short term droughts has increased in these drought prone areas (NASA). Looking back at Africa, Sheffield’s team believes that those areas on Africa experiencing droughts will see a twofold increase in the frequency of these events (NASA). These conditions will cause a decline in agricultural productivity in an already struggling locale.

It seems like the common thread between California and many parts of Africa is agriculture. Agriculture is an important industry, it supplies food and other supplies to the world. It may seem like an environmental problem that cannot be solved, people have to eat after all. However there is a solution to be found when looking at the issue as a social problem. Interventions that encourage reduced food waste and reduced consumption of consumer goods can go a long way in reducing the demands on the agriculture industry.

There are also other interventions in place that are looking at the bigger picture, climate change, which is causing the drought conditions in the first place. World leaders recognized that there was a problem in respect to climate change and gathered stakeholders to discuss possible intervention strategies. 2015’s climate conference in Paris saw the nations who have the highest emissions pledge 100 billion dollars per year to help mitigate the effects of climate change in developing nations (Onishi, 2016). However, many officials in these developing nations are frustrated, they have not yet seen plans for this money and do not know how it is going to be spent. The problem has been found but the intervention has not been designed in a way that it is not easily implemented. Greed, corruption and political battles have all but dismantled the progress towards climate change intervention that was made in Paris in 2015. The future of organizations like the EPA is unclear. Based on recent events one can assume that not much progress will be made in the near future towards reducing climate change on a global level.

This can still however be approached as a societal problem on the local level. It will be important now more than ever for Americans to take a hard look at their personal contribution towards energy consumption, waste, and water usage. Organizations in your local area need funding at a rapid rate, interventions need to be planned and implemented in a way that takes the long term effect of our consumption into account. Current interventions should be evaluated for effectiveness and improved if needed.  As Americans we need to take a hard look at how our contribution to global carbon emissions effect countries around the globe and how it effects our own country. We should be looking towards our own community and ourselves to find areas where changes can be made.

References

1. IBWA. (n.d.). Bottled Water. Retrieved February 02, 2017, from http://www.bottledwater.org/california-drought
2. NASA. Nasa Earth Observatory. Retrieved from Africa’s Disappearing Lake Chad: http://m.earthobservatory.nana.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=1240
3. NASA. NASA Earth. Retrieved from Ancient dry spells offer clues about the future of drought: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/ancient-dry.html
4. Onishi, N. New York Times. Retrieved from Climate Change hits hard in Zambia, an African success story: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/world/africa/zambia-drought-climate-change-economy.html?nytmobile=0
5. Schneider, F. W, Gruman, J. A., &. Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second Edition). Sage Publications: Thousand Oak, CA.

 

Scientists throughout the world have unanimously concluded that humans have a real and imminent effect on our environment and climate, but this does not stop people from continuing to contribute to the issue today. This poses the question, then, as to the best way we can change our behaviors and promote the reduction of waste. By looking at the way messages are spread to our society, we can decide on the best approach to combating this issue and ensuring that future generations have a healthy environment to live in.

This is important, as improper messaging can have the opposite effect and drive people to behavior that is seen as negative. Indeed, being too adamant in our approach when promoting a more economic daily usage of water and other resources can make environmental advocates seem too eager to the layman. As Chris Ann Dickerson points out in her piece, this can have a polarizing effect on people and cause them to waste more water than if the advocate never spoke to them in the first place (2). In a sort of vindictive backlash, advocates can contribute more to the problem by ignoring the way culture has affected the way people think and act.

Environmental advocates then should seek out alternative ways to spread their righteous cause. This is often more easily said than done, but there are plenty of ways in which someone can indirectly spread a message through social engineering. If advocates can make changes to the environment in which people operate, then others will naturally pick up on this new stimulus and adjust their behavior accordingly. Pennsylvania State’s World Campus initiative calls this triadic reciprocal determinism, “the environment that people live in both influences human behavior and personal factors [and vice-versa].” (1)

Take for example the influence that movies have had on consumer purchasing trends. Following the box office success of ET, sales of Reese’s Pieces increased over 65% since the movie portrays the alien protagonist munching on the colorful candies (3). Product placement is so successful in movies because people seek to emulate the characters and role models we watch on TV and in the theatres. By strategically promoting products which can help reduce our own waste and glamorizing characters who are environmentally minded, advocates can influence the way people think about their own resource usage.

Following the release of JAWS, tourism to beaches hit a temporary low as panic and fear spread throughout the minds of viewers. The Australian government even harshened their approach to how they deal with prospective shark attacks, encouraging the fear the public had accumulated that killing the shark was the only solution (4). This reiterates not only the role of the media in changing the populace’s opinion, but emphasizes the role governments can play in shaping public opinion.

By carefully considering the messages we send in our movies, activism and culture, conservation advocates can best address the issue of waste. While many of us may be eager to fight for a cause we believe to be just, rushing into raw promotion without carefully considering the consequences can be ultimately disastrous for the overall effort. We need to understand that change comes slower than we would often like, but by making a change to the environment we live in, we can alter the behaviors and attitudes of our peers in a way that best addresses the issue of water and resource conservation.

 

References:

 

• Penn State University. Psych424: Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 4: The Environment: 2017.

 

• Dickerson, Chris Ann. Using Cognitive Dissonance to Encourage Water Conservation. University of California at Santa Cruz. Journal of Applied Social Psychology: 1992.

 

• Zimmerman, Ian. Product Placement Can Be A Lot More Powerful Than We Realize. 25 March 2013. Web: 1 Feb 2017. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sold/201303/product-placement-can-be-lot-more-powerful-we-realize

 

• Carty, Sarah. The JAWS effect! The Daily Mail. 12 December 2014. Web: 1 Feb 2017. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871535/New-research-shows-1975-classic-Jaws-influenced-WA-government-s-policy-sharks.html

This week we discussed the environment and how society plays such a large role in sustaining it’s ability to be effective and efficient. Lately, with politics, it’s clear that there is going to be a very large shift in how the environment is perceived, acknowledged, and dealt with on a federal scale. This, logically, translates and trickles down to individual states hoping that their respective budgets will cover any changes or improvements needed to help combat threats to our environment.   Though there are many environmental issues currently threatened and needing attention, I will be focusing this blog post on the importance and need of environmentally friendly infrastructure as our usage of fixed resources continues.

As many of us have heard recently, Donald Trump has changed, and even erased, many previous policies our country had regarding the environment and it’s importance. In not even two weeks since he was sworn in, he has removed any information about climate change from the White House website, pushed for the Keystone Pipeline, and discussed large cuts regarding funding for the environment (Sutter, 2017). Our resource dilemma (choosing between self-interest or the good of others) is starting to reach an all-time high, and as a country I think it’s understood that sacrifices need to be made by individuals in order to protect what’s much larger than us (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012).

Continue reading →