There have been seven types of primary learning styles identified, but public schools only have enough resources to cater to one – verbal, while the concept is controversial I do believe it is a good start in trying to figure out why the public school system has failed at engaging every student.

If a student can develop a love for education and understand their own abilities while in school, they are more likely to believe in themselves. Self efficacy is strengthened and their confidence in their ability to be a scholar is not diminished. They will more likely believe in their ability to attend college and find a challenging and satisfactory career.

So to make things better for every student we have to apply the resources, making sure teachers have what they need to engage all their students.

An important topic that came up in this weeks readings was aggression. Aggression is at times the crux of human interaction. It is the protector, it is the defender, it is the punisher. However it is not needed as much anymore. Aggression as a tool has no place in certain areas of life, and one of those areas is in the educational system. Yet time and time again we see horrific acts of violence sensationalized in the media when they occur in our most sacred establishments of learning. So what does all this violence in schools mean? Should teachers be armed? Should students be homeschooled? Should everything move to online learning? There are many questions and many answers, however a solution that is right in front of us is thus: education. We have these institutions in place for a reason. Our children spend over half of their days in schools. This is where they learn everything from socialization to reasoning and behavioral expectations. Of course the base of these things are learned at home, but in application, school is where these students go to really learn all that they need in terms of social context.

So what does this have to do with the educational system. Well in terms put lightly, a lot of bad things have happened in schools throughout the last few years. One of the most obvious solutions to this is to really educate students about the negative affects of violence and aggression starting at a young age through in school programs. One such program is the GREAT program, or the Guiding Responsibility and Expectations for Adolescents for Today and Tomorrow. This program was created to help deter acts of violence and aggression in schools (Orpinas & Homes, 2004). Orpinas and Holmes (2004) took a simple idea and implemented it; they created a program that educated teachers about different types of aggression, risk factors for such behavior, taught them how to develop methods of preventing aggression, and how to assist students who have become targets of aggression. This is such a simple thing to be taught, and all it takes is a little bit of specialization and a few weeks of time on the part of the teacher. By educating the teachers, students can then be further taught how to deal with aggression from all angles whether it be from external or internal sources.

While the GREAT program is a good example of what can be done to mitigate aggression, it is not the only thing to be done. But it does have the right idea. Many people place the blame on the students, but like we learned in the reading, the students tend to behave based on what they feel are the expectations. If they see abuse and violence as a normalized thing then they will act as such and that can create a whole host of problems. This means placing a lot of the responsibility on the teachers instead of the students and ensuring they know how to create a proper environment to decrease aggression and foster a positive learning environment for their students.

So while many say that educational system is the problem, in fact, it is the solution. It is simply an exercise in using the right resources and implementing effective ideas in order to foster a positive environment for both the students and the teachers so that aggression can be dealt with in any number of ways so that the educational system can do what it was meant to do.

References:

Orpinas, P., Horne, A. M., Multisite Violence Prevention Project (2004). A teacher-focused approach to prevent and reduce students’ aggressive behavior: the GREAT Teacher Program. American journal of preventive medicine, 26(1 Suppl), 29-38.

Math has been for as long as I can remember a source of anxiety for me. As a child I was a pretty average learner when it came to mathematics up until I fell behind.  I have always felt like when it comes to numbers my mind needs a little more time than most to reach that “aha! I get it” moment. I started to do worse and worse on my homework and quizzes and i realized that the class kept moving forward and I was somehow stuck. Then I think a catalyst for me was that I had this really awful math teacher who would call on students at random to come up to the board and solve the equations in front of the class. I remember math class being torture. Sitting in the back trying to hide, making myself sick inside with worry that he was going to call on me. Because he would call on me from time to time and I would stand in front of the class staring at that equation and feeling panicked and blank and stupid. I felt like everyone knew I was stupid. I grew to hate math.I equated math with failure. In fact I hated math so much that after high school I successfully avoided it up until rather recently.  My academic self concept when it came to math was very negative and my motivation was low. I have been able to make some great improvements in recent years and I think two things have helped me improve my outlook.  One would be that I am very motivated to get my degree in psychology. I really feel strongly that it is what I want to do with my life and I am determined to succeed and have managed to pass several math classes :)! The second would be that I have changed the way I look at the world and at myself. My locus of control has changed. I no longer think that math happens to me and when it does i fail. I now think that when math happens to me I know I have to try a little harder than some of my peers but that I am capable and that when I get a concept I really get it and retain it and so I take pride in that. I think its what our book refers to as the Self- Determination theory or the degree to which an individual sees themselves as having a choice in actions and behaviors with-ought feeling pressured to behave in a particular manner.  I think that feeling of watching everyone get something I couldn’t really bothered me as a child and I gave up after a while. I was pressured to feel like something was wrong with me and I accepted that. But adult me learned that I might have a more challenging time with numbers but that I also have a knack for not forgetting things once I learn them and so maybe I take longer but I keep my knowledge and thats a valuable skill.  I now know I can do math and Im motivated.

Side note I still think that teacher was a jerk for doing that to his students.

The United States’ educational systems have an ethical responsibility to offer equal educational opportunities to all children across the nation. Unfortunately, due to funding and politics this is often not the case. One demographic, special needs students, fails to be offered the same opportunities by federal/state governments. This lack of care, education, and empathy often sets these students up for failure in the future.

According to the National Center of Education Statistics, 13% of all public-school students ages 3-21 are receiving special education services. Out of these students, 34% have specific learning disabilities. (NCES, 2018) In other words, there are over 6.7 million students who depending on their local school systems may be able to pursue a standard career and life, or will be unable to hold a career and ability to pursue additional educational goals in the future.

Currently many schools are simply underfunded, the Michigan special education system is currently underfunded by $700,000,000 for example. (Detroit Free Press, 2017) This lack of funding means less special needs instructors, aides, and programs. Individuals with special needs education career experience are also less likely to want to move to an area in the country that pays them significantly less. The long-term impacts of a failing system like Michigan’s are going to have a lasting effect on the unfortunate students that are forced to suffer through their sub-par education system.

Bandura was important in the studies of observational learning, and that humans model behavior based on observations. This information applies to social behaviors significantly. A special needs student who is unable to attend classes with students without special needs would be isolated and segregated from the rest. This would prevent exposure to social interactions and settings that would potentially lead to important developmental progress. An individual who cannot be exposed to normal social settings will not be able to act perceivably “normal” in future social settings when inevitably exposed to them. This stunted social development may make finding a career later in life both impossible and frightening for that individual.

Special needs students should be presented a fair chance and opportunity to have a future in our country like every other student. The lack of funding presented by both federal and state governments presents a problem both ethically and academically for these special needs students. In order to prevent the increasingly large problems this may cause the government needs to put politics aside and increase funding to underfunded school systems.

References

Detroit Free Press. (2018, October 02). Michigan’s special education efforts near bottom in nation: U.S. report. Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2018/10/02/michigan-special-education/1425314002/

National Center of Education Statistics. (2018). Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgg.asp

Nelson, A. (2018). Lesson 10: Education . Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942493/modules/items/25002539

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

My son, despite his social problems, has always had this small group of friends.  They all may be outcasts in their own right, but having grown up with them since Kindergarten, they always seem to understand him.  I didn’t realize the barriers my son had socially until we transferred him schools for third grade.  My son is friendly, sometimes overly so he doesn’t understand boundaries and thinks everyone should get a hug.  So, when his birthday came along that year, which is in April so it was towards the end of the year.  I sent out his invitations to his classmates but also invited those few boys that have always stuck by him.  When the party day came around, we waited, he kept looking at the door, and if it wasn’t for those kids, the ones who have always stood by him, no one would’ve been there.  He struggles at making friends with children his age who don’t know him, he just isn’t able to connect with them.  It comes down to the fact that children who are on the spectrum, who struggle socially at school, can live very isolated lives.  This can lead to increase in depression and anxiety.

My son has several, if not most, of his friends falling on the spectrum and I’m grateful for those kids.  I’m also grateful for the kids who can see past his quirks, who can accept him for who he is and be his friend. But looking at these children who at times have no one at their birthday parties, that don’t get invited to other parties (my son doesn’t get invitations outside of his group of friends).  I can see how children these days suffer from anxiety and depression, even those not on the spectrum.  The average onset age of anxiety is eleven, my son’s onset age was eight. [2] Twenty-five percent of children between 13-18 suffer from anxiety.  A study was done to determine if there was a link between anxiety disorders and suicide attempts.  It found in those with a history of suicide attempts, over 70% had an anxiety disorder. [1]

I do everything I can, taking him to psychologist and psychiatrist appointments, making a point to talk to him about telling me if things get to be too much.  I like to think we have a healthy relationship, that he’s able to tell me everything.  But this is a fear always sitting in the back of my mind and it’s something school systems need to be addressing.  Twenty-five percent of kids suffer from anxiety and if over 70% of suicide attempts have a link to anxiety, this is not a small problem.

References

1. Bernstein, J. (2016, January 23). The Rising Epidemic of Anxiety in Children and Teens. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/liking-the-child-you-love/201601/the-rising-epidemic-anxiety-in-children-and-teens
2. Nepon, J., Belik, S., Bolton, J., & Sareen, J. (2010, September). The Relationship Between Anxiety Disorders and Suicide Attempts: Findings from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2940247/

To many people, America is the promise land. Equality is preached from the moment we are born. We are told that no matter what our race, religion, or gender is we can achieve the “American Dream”. What people don’t tell you is that the so called “American Dream” is only feasible depending on where you live. – In America you’re zip code determines your destiny.

Half of all renters in the U.S spend more than 30% of their income on housing; and more than a quarter spend 50% (Kaufmann, 2015). To add to the problem, the limited availability of housing that is available is usually located in high poverty, high crime, low opportunity neighborhoods. It’s no secret that the higher income your family makes, the better housing you can afford; better housing equates to better schools. Many people ignorant to the situation may simply say, “public school is free; go to school, get good grades, get a scholarship to college and all your problems will be nonexistent.” Sounds easy right? But if you’re a 12-year-old boy that has to walk thru rival gang territory to get to school you can see how easy the problems may arise. Suddenly walking seven blocks which should be easy is like walking thru a war zone. This is just one example and one problem. Now imagine that besides you having to walk thru WWII, you almost get frostbite trying to walk school because your mom had to choose between feeding you and your siblings, or buying you a winter coat. Suddenly skipping school doesn’t seem like such a bad idea, does it?

So how can we solve the problem? Better jobs? Better teachers? Stop exclusionary zoning of neighborhoods based on race or socioeconomic status? The answer, just like the problem isn’t so clear cut. One thing is certain for sure, we owe it to our kids to figure this problem out. As the wage gap between poor and rich continues to increase, so will the education gap. Where we are born and where we live should not be the “end all or be all”. We must remember that going to school is an American right, not a privilege.

References:

Kaufmann, Greg. (2015, December 17). Why Achieving The American Dream Depends on Your Zip Code. Retrieved from https://talkpoverty.org/2015/12/17/american-dream-zip-codes-affordable-housing/

Education and especially higher education is very crucial in 2018 and for the future years to come.  Almost every profession requires an adult to have at the bare minimum a bachelors degree or if not higher.  According to an article I found and read by the huffington post the United States of America used to be “envyed by other countries and people from around the world would work extremely hard to come here for an education.”  However, this has been declining and students from the United States and from all over are looking for countries that offer free higher education programs so they can avoid paying back student loans.  Student loans put students in a debt that some can never get out of and in result the student ends up struggling to pay these loans off.  “The emotional and physical stress it causes a student affects their decision making, lifestyle choices, and ability to make rational decisions.  Because of the enormous debt I know many people from high school who all chose to go different routes and avoid college because they did not want to be stuck with paying back thousand of dollars in loans.  Instead they went to a trade school where tuition is significantly cheaper and got a trade job just after two years of schooling.  Yes, they had loans to pay however paying back the loans was doable and did not set the student back financially.  Years ago students went to school and paid back their loans but their tuition was not nearly as high as it is now.  “While our students don’t get a break from their debts, bankers responsible for the financial crash of 2008 received over $700 billion in the bailout. On top of this, the government has made a commitment for another $16 trillion. The cost of the Iraq war is estimated at $2.5 trillion as of now and is forecast to be $6 trillion in a few decades, counting interest, as we borrowed money for the war.  Our politicians have no problem paying interest in trillions of dollars for a war of choice, but they have no interest in investing in the future of our younger generation. Our politicians are willing to lobby for big corporations and special interests but are not interested in representing our students.”  These numbers to me are frightening because this is the future generations just trying to do better for themselves and for the generations after them and so on.  Discrimination also plays a huge role with education and even after education.  For example, my fiances father comes from a rural country and came to the United States to give a better life to his family etc.  He has a masters in engineering and he still faces discrimination while going to job interviews.  Because of this he has lost out on many jobs and it is something that not only started when he first enrolled in school but is something he still faces and deals with today.  Although there are laws and disclosure terms and conditions that specifically state that race, sexual orientation, etc. will not affect you in terms of getting a job it still does happen and people still are dealing with this issue even after they get a masters in computer engineering! 

Reference:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/americas-decline-in-education-is-anyone-worrying_us_59547fc7e4b0c85b96c65f3f

There has been a great deal of research into the correlation between teacher expectations of students, and student academic performance. Much of the research findings point to the idea that there is a positive correlation between the expectations that a teacher has for a student and that student’s actual academic performance. High expectations, therefore, corresponds to high academic performance for students, while low expectations would correspond with low academic performance. There are many theories that can be used to help explain this idea, but most revolve around the idea that the teacher, through subconscious thoughts and behaviors, influences the students to behave in a particular way.

When teachers form expectations on students, they tend to think and behave in a certain way towards those students. In doing so, they introduce bias into a student’s normal performance. This bias can be of positive or negative effect, depending on the teacher’s view of the student. In 1968, Robert Rosenthal, and Lenore Jacobson conducted a study in which they discovered, what they coined the Pygmalion effect. Simply put, the Pygmalion effect suggests that higher expectations lead to higher performance. (Mitchell & Daniels, 2003) In their study, Rosenthal and Jacobson found that teachers with high expectations for particular students provided those students with more support and encouragement, more challenging material to learn, more feedback, and more opportunity to speak in discussions. (Schneider et. al, 2012) This led to a significantly higher performance in the students of high expectation.  Conversely, when teachers had low expectations, they failed to provide much of the support provided to those they held higher expectations for. The measured performance for those students was lower, partly due to the lack of support and feedback they received. The golem effect, the idea that lower expectations lead to decreased performance, can be explained by the lack of support given as a result of those expectations. (Mitchell & Daniels, 2003)

As was described previously, the expectations that a teacher has for a student influences the way they think and behave toward that student. This explains the difference in support given to students where teachers have high expectations of them versus students where teachers have lower expectations of them. Many times, however, the teacher’s expectation of the student is inaccurate. In cases like this, the self-fulfilling prophecy can be used to better understand how these inaccurate expectations, drive student performance. The self-fulfilling prophecy “refers to having expectations about another person, that influence how you perceive and behave toward that person, influencing that person to behave in the previously expected manner. ” (Schneider et. al, 2012, pp. 204) It’s essentially thinking and behaving toward a person based on a bias, that is confirmed based on that person’s reaction to the way you behave towards them. For example, let’s assume Chad thinks Brian is antisocial. When they pass each other, Chad doesn’t speak to Brian because he believes he won’t speak back. Brian doesn’t speak because Chad doesn’t speak. Chad confirms his belief that Brian is anti-social due to Brian not speaking, even though Chad not speaking is the cause of Brian not speaking. Applied in a classroom setting, a teacher may have low expectations for a student based on some bias (race, religion, gender, etc.). Based on that bias, the teacher provides less support and feedback to the student than to other students of higher expectations. The student performs at a lower standard than the student that received more attention and feedback, and the teacher confirms her bias, not realizing the role she played in the outcome., and the teacher confirms her bias, not realizing the role she played in the outcome.

A good deal of research has been completed on the effects of teacher motivation on student performance. Findings suggest there is a positive correlation between the level of expectation that a teacher has for a student and the level of actual performance that student achieves. These findings suggest the subconscious behaviors of the teacher toward students of high expectations, (more support and feedback) contribute to this correlation. Finding also suggests not all expectations are accurate, as teachers are affected by inherent biases they may hold. These biases affect their behavior, which in turn affects student behavior, which ultimately confirms the original bias or high/low expectations (self-fulfilling prophecy).

Mitchell, Terence R.; Daniels, Denise (2003). “Motivation”. In Walter C. Borman; Daniel R. Ilgen; Richard J. Klimoski. Handbook of Psychology (volume 12). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 229. ISBN 0-471-38408-9.

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

Education is one of the most important rights that all individuals should have access to. It is the stepping stone to success and opportunity in any society. Each country has their own set of laws concerning education and the educational system. The educational system in Asia differs from the educational system in the United States. However, they all follow the same set of standards in order to shape tomorrow’s leaders to become successful adults and influential individuals. Our world is constantly changing and it requires a society that is well versed in understanding the problems deriving from cultural differences and tolerance of one another’s beliefs and perceptions. The United States is one of the countries that has an enormous diverse society, therefore, their schools contain a huge level of diversity between students and educators. With such a diverse society, the educational system should accommodate and encourage this level of diversity as it has a lot of pros to education and the school system. However, as all things, there are both pros and cons to all educational systems.

In the United States, education has evolved throughout the years. With the arrival of people from all over the world came the development of stereotyping and discrimination. Unfortunately, this is one of the cons of the major level of diversity that is found in the United States. Discrimination started off first and foremost with the oppression of African Americans in the U.S. With the movement of Martin Luther King and Martin Luther Kind Jr., came the light of change of racism, discrimination, and social oppression. African American children began to attend school with the white population and slowly but steadily, their rights as humans began to take place. Unfortunately, in a school setting, a lot of bullying is a result of how other children differ in their looks, backgrounds, or cultures. As people advance into the 21^st century, one can only hope that discrimination diminished in all aspects of society. However, that does not seem to be the case in most schools. According to Barret, McEchin, Mills, and Valant (2017), currently, black and poor students are suspended at much higher rates than their white or non-poor peers. This proves to show that discrimination is an unfortunate reality in most schools that develops into a negative aspect of the schooling in the United States. Another con that is available in U.S. schools is that they are overcrowded. Usually, the smaller the classroom the better the individual student experience (Lynch, 2015). Now-a-days, more and more children are in desperate need for one-to-one tutoring. Children are in desperate need for this classroom attention in order to grasp and understand concepts more effectively. Additionally, the greater the classroom size, the less effective a single teacher is at providing the best educational experience to all the students.

On the other hand, the schooling in the United States does have some pros over other school systems around the world. Firstly, the school system in the United States is very inclusive. Not only does it include children from all cultures and backgrounds, it includes individuals that are “school-age” citizens. For example, if an older individual did not finish his school education back in the day, they are given the means to complete it now if they choose to do so. Additionally, education in the United States is funded annually. According to Terry Heick (2015), Americans annually fund education to the tune of a projected $821 billion in 2013. Furthermore, all schools in the United States promote literacy. Educators are well aware that literacy is an anchor for social, economical, and financial improvement. With more educated individuals, the society can strive greatly as it advances into the future. Moreover, educators and school staff acknowledge that there are socioeconomic influences that take place in a child’s education. Educators are aware that socioeconomic status greatly affects the academic performance of a child. Therefore, they try their best to help those children that suffer from low socioeconomic status to the best of their ability.

In conclusion, education is essential for the development of any child. Often, it differs from one country to another but it follows the underlying principals that is universal in educational systems world-wide. Americans are committed to changing for the better and that is shown through their development as a society throughout the years. The cultural diversity is a major development that is not simply established in any society. All individuals of any society are subjected to the negatives that comes along with change. However, a society is considered successful if they work together as a single unit towards overcoming such disparities and learn to live and develop efficiently together.

References

Barrett, N., McEachin, A., Mills, J., & Valant, J. (2018, January 09). Discipline disparities and discrimination in schools. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/11/20/discipline-disparities-and-discrimination-in-schools/

Heick, T. (2015, November 21). 10 Things Public Education In America Is Getting Right. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/10-things-public-education-in-americsystem-is-getting-right/

Lynch, M. (2017, October 15). 10 Reasons the U.S. Education System Is Failing. Retrieved October 27, 2018, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_futures/2015/08/10_reasons_the_us_education_system_is_failing.html

I have developed an obsession with the Finnish education system. It started when I had my son, 5 years ago and has grown stronger throughout the years. It is true that we have options in this country. You can choose to send your child to public school, private school or a charter school. It sounds nice, but the competition and price is fierce with alternative choices. Private schools can cost upwards of 15,000 a year, and good charter schools may have 22 seats open and over 2500 applicants in a lottery system. So, you really don’t have much choice. I’m not sure why the American education system has deteriorated so quickly and in such a huge way. There is too much focus on standardized testing and placement. Kids aren’t really learning though, this is evident by how we rank compared to other countries. It’s a fact. Additionally, the stress of school makes children not life time lovers of learning, but they end up hating school. If you have a child with special needs this decision and stress is even exacerbated. My son is autistic and I hate the thought of putting him in public school. It has nothing to do with the teachers. I think generally most teachers are enthusiastic and are teaching for the right reasons, but the system is failing even them too. They have little to no autonomy on teaching the way they want. We can fix this though, it is a fixable problem. We just need to look at how Finland turned their system around.

Three decades ago the Finnish school system was much like ours. Very regimented and the outcome was poor in comparison to other countries. Finland faced a problem when they had a huge amount of refugees from other countries coming in which created a very distinct difference in socioeconomic statuses. Basically what Finland did was have all schools public and free. That’s the only choice you have. All meals are free and there is no segregation in classrooms. Teachers teach to all children no matter what level of understanding, or special needs they may have. Children get supported with one on one teaching from assistants and/or other teachers. There is no superiority between kids. This created a harmonious and cohesive and supportive relationship among students. The school day is also less structured with many breaks incorporated and lots of time for socializing and building relationships. They also don’t have a focus on homework. The outcomes have been amazing to say the least. Finland is constantly ranked among the top education systems in the world. Teachers are the leading degree that people want to peruse, it is considered an honor to become a school teacher and it is the most respected job. Children are happy and happy to go to school, and they perform. One of the most fascinating features that has come out of this is that socioeconomic mobility has increased on a level that hasn’t been seen anywhere else. A child born into poverty in Finland has a better chance at moving into the middle or upper class system as a result of completing school. This has lead to a decrease in government funded assistance programs and the money saved has been redirected back into the education system and teacher/assistant salaries.

I only wish more people in government would take the time to learn and study the education system in Finland. They have given us a literal blue print on how to correct this problem with the most positive outcomes.

Saunders, D. (2016) Finland’s Social Climbers: How they’re fighting inequality with education, and winning. The Globe and Mail

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/how-finland-is-fighting-inequality-with-education-andwinning/article29716845/

“I had to baby sit my little brother Monday night and I had planned on studying that night!” “I really needed to help out a friend of mine through a rough break-up this week, so that interfered with my study time.” “I might not do as well as I had planned on this test because I wasn’t feeling very well this week and couldn’t study a lot.” Precautionary excuses such as these are examples of self-handicapping. Self-handicapping is a process used to protect one’s self-image or self-concept. Self-handicapping refers to the strategy of creating or acknowledging potential barriers to success in an effort to displace the blame of possible failure to an external cause vs. an internal one, as well as enhances the value of success if achieved despite the barriers (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012).

Most of us have most likely witnessed examples of self-handicapping, if not practiced this phenomenon ourselves. This past week while meeting with a student she revealed to me that she had completely skipped taking an exam for one of her classes. She explained her decision by stating that her teacher didn’t remind them consistently enough that they had an upcoming exam, then had the audacity to only gave them 5 minutes to study right before the test! Instead of taking the test in the only class that she has been struggling in this year, and risking the possibility of not doing well, she chose to not take it instead and place the blame on her teacher’s actions, or lack thereof. This protected her self-concept because her poor grade wasn’t due to her lack of intelligence, her inability to grasp the concept of the material, or her lack of organization, it was all due to the course of bad decisions on her teacher’s part. Have you ever witnessed someone utilize the self-handicapping self-serving strategy or utilized it yourself?

The process of self-handicapping presents other questions. Is self-handicapping a strategy that is used minimally in times of high stress or fear of not doing well? Are there long term implications for someone who self-handicaps regularly? If someone habitually self-handicaps is it no longer a question of creating some barriers to make ones-self feel better about an outcome, is it now a question of self-esteem, depression, or anxiety for example?

References

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

I remember being in the main office during regular school hours, there was an “emergency” meeting between the principle and my parents along with myself. My disciplinary behavior was cause of concern, most of my teachers were concerned that I wasn’t being attentive in class and that my distractions were a disciplinary concern. I was also known to have bursts of attention seeking behavior and mood swings that affected me being successful in class. At the end of the meeting it resulted in more disciplinary action from my parents. Fast forward almost 10 years later my brother found himself in a similar situation in a different school. The psychologist of the school had diagnosed him with ADHD and bi-polar disorder. I had also been diagnosed after graduating high school with the same symptoms. It was very frustrating looking back at how my school dealt with these issues especially since it did little to improve upon my situation.

“School has been a real challenge for them. That’s not unusual for the 1 in 5 children with a mental illness. They often suffer anxiety, difficulty focusing and social challenges. Half of them drop out of high school, in part because many schools don’t manage to meet their needs” (Gold,J.2016).

The overall education system in the United States has taken steps to improve upon giving services and understanding how mental illness impacts their student body. Although the progress depending on regional area of a school can be stagnant. This can be attributed to a multitude of issues stemming from lack of resources provided to the school, lack of qualified individuals to help diagnose and treat students with learning disabilities and in worse cases a sense of apathy towards those who suffer from mental illness. Students with behavioral issues are often cast aside and written off as “problem child” therefore setting them up for an inclined battle throughout their life to have a semblance of normalcy. Previous understandings or lack thereof in regards to behavioral and emotional issues brought forth by mental illness has created an underlying problem in our educational system. Although in recent times there have been steps take to correct this problem there is still much more than needs to be done in order to better address the issue at hand.

“Schools do not all screen students for mental health issues, and the practice varies widely across states. Even if students are successfully identified, many areas lack the community-based mental health treatment options that would be needed to help them. Just 38 percent of youth with a mood disorder such as depression or bipolar disorder receive treatment services” (Gold,J.2016).

With 38% of the youth in the United States suffering from mood disorder and schools not always screening students for mental health issues it leaves a door for potential disruption down the road with regards to their student being able to successfully complete their education and living a better quality of life during and after school.

 “In 2014, the federal government announced $48 million in new grants to support teachers, schools and communities in recognizing and responding to mental health issues. Still, many students’ mental health problems continue to go unidentified and untreated” (Gold,J.2016).

Funding for schools to address the issue is crucial in combating the detrimental effects of students with mental illness not having proper resources. Yet the responsibilities still lie within the school to make a better effort in identifying and treating students with mental health issues. To add more cause for concern, the current Presidential Administration is looking to roll back on public spending especially in schools. The cut in federal funding for such programs put mentally ill children at risk; resources provided by the government along with the conscientious efforts by schools to identify and provide services are desperately needed in order to assure the proper development and success of students.

Gold, J. (2016, September 13). One out of five children have mental illness, and schools often don’t help. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/one-five-children-mental-illness-schools-often-dont-help

“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” -George Orwell (1984)

Media sources have the power to heavily influence how people think. Often this is used for educational purposes and helpful reasons. However, with the incredible influence that media sources have over our perception of events and surroundings – it has become increasingly powerful as a tool for manipulation. This manipulation is done either by partisans or the media source itself, often for personal gain.

Politics is something that has become inescapable in our social media focused society. We all know a person that uses a social media platform to start arguments with people they disagree with politically. Often spreading misinformation that will heavily sway other people’s beliefs as well. (Strandberg et al. 2018) This behavior has always been a part of our internet culture as social media allows people to reach a larger audience than ever before. (Nelson, 2018) However, this type of behavior has become increasingly common with the influence of a few factors. Due to our media’s representation of political turmoil and indifferences it has caused an increase in polarization over the recent years and the divide continues to grow.

Social media and news media have an enormous impact on the way that we process current events. Both sources can cause the public to believe something based on false information to the extent that it becomes the norm. A non-political and humorous example of this is the belief that carrot consumption improves eyesight. The only truth to this is if you already have a Vitamin A deficiency. This belief was started during World War II when Britain’s news stories were reporting that Royal Air Force pilots included a large amount of carrots in their diet in an attempt to mask the true reason behind the recent success of their pilots against their German pilot counterparts. The British were hiding their recent application of radar technology in aircrafts, something the Germans were yet to grasp. (Mikkelson 2015) Nevertheless, there are people in the United States today that believe that anything outside of the minute amounts of beta-carotene/Vitamin A in carrots is improving their eyesight thanks to that myth perpetuated by media outlets during World War II. This certainly makes a point to show that if the media we rely on can report false information to make the entire world believe carrots improve eyesight, certainly they can make people sway their opinions on political issues using false information as well.

The news media loves dramatic stories that increase ratings. Each news outlet often leaning towards a specific political party and skewing events to align with their beliefs. The increase in political polarization in the public as well, has also led to an increase in hostility towards those with opposing views. In an effort to increase dramatization of events in exchange for higher ratings – news media will make it seem as though our political parties are at war with each other. This representation of events makes a majority of the public shift their beliefs towards the party they align with and it creates an “Us vs. Them environment.” (McLaughlin, 2018) Not only does this lead to an increase in intergroup conflict, but also partisan identification, affective polarization, and ideological polarization. To put this in simpler terms, the media will dramatize conflict, the public will feed off of the conflict and become increasingly hostile and polarized, and in response partisans will take advantage of this and hold increasingly extreme views in an effort to obtain more public favor.

The news media irresponsibly uses its incredible power for personal gain and profit, while social media gives a platform for the spread of misinformation and dramatic political polarization. Unfortunately, the only thing that can be done going forward is the education of the public to understand the manipulation that is occurring on perceivably trusted sources and to learn to question things and research on their own. The issues stemming from media manipulation of the public will be an ongoing issue in the future and major changes would have to take place in order for media platforms to be purely healthy forms of communication rather than polarizing political tools.

References

McLaughlin, B. (2018). Commitment to the team: Perceived conflict and political polarization. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 30(1), 41-51. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1027/1864-1105/a000176

Mikkelson, B. (2015). FACT CHECK: Does Eating Carrots Improve Your Vision? Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/24-carrot-eyesight/

Nelson, A. (2018). Pennsylvania State World Campus. PSYCH. 424 Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 8: Media/Communications Technology. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942493/modules/items/25002532.

Orwell, G., & Fromm, E. (2015). 1984. NY, NY: Signet Classics.

Strandberg, T., Sivén, D., Hall, L., Johansson, P., & Pärnamets, P. (2018). False beliefs and confabulation can lead to lasting changes in political attitudes.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(9), 1382-1399. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1037/xge0000489

(My post can be triggering if you have had an eating disorder so please don’t read if that is the case)

“Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos from your browser, phone, desktop, email or wherever you happen to be.”

Often described as ‘microblog’ tumblr is a place where people can post anything they want. What is interesting is that Tumblr has a younger user demographic in comparison with other social networks. Whats also interesting is that there is a problem on Tumblr with blogs that promote anorexia and bulimia. Such a big problem that the site had to announce a new policy against “self-harm” blogs stating that from now on, Tumblr will moderate blogs that “glorify or promote anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders”

Pro-Ana blogs are still easy to find on tumblr. A whole community of people glorifying being eerily thin though “thinspo” and”meanspo.” Thinspo is often images of women with thigh gaps, protruding collarbones, rib cages visible through their clothes, gaunt cheeks, and  hollow eyes. Living skeletons.The blogs are filled with quotes revolving around how no one will love you unless your thin or how the only way you will ever be at peace is if your thin enough. There is also “Meanspo” blogs in which is people cruelly tell each other they are worthless if they eat, or gain weight, using words like fat cow and gross pig. Also featured on these blogs are a ton of tips on how to purge, count calories, use laxatives, trick your doctor in regards to weigh ins… All of it very disturbing. All of it not content that you would want impressionable young people exposed to.

The problem with media is that it creates access to literally everything. I am not one for censorship but I do think that certain content can be very harmful, especially to younger people and to the more vulnerable individuals of a population.

I had an eating disorder when I was younger and I still have a lot of issues when it comes to self image when it relates to size. These blogs prey on people who need help and who are on a self destruct course. I especially was very disturbed by “meanspo” which is just people being cruel to those who need support the most.

I think that social media sites should be required to monitor the content they allow to be published. Its good that Tumblr now has a policy against posting blogs that promote self harm but I also think that more needs to be done when it comes to protecting young people from some of the very harmful content that is easy to access online.

Im honestly not sure how this can be done without crossing the line of censorship but with this new world that we are now in of instant information and access, something does need to be done in order to protect those who are more vulnerable and fragile.

Believe it or not, my fiancé Dylan and I met on the dating app tinder. Rather than meeting the old fashioned way where we saw each other across a crowded room and fell in love, we first saw each other on our smartphone screen while flipping through profiles on tinder and swiped right (meaning we both said we were interested in talking to each other on the app which made it a “match”). Once we matched, we chatted back and forth over text for a couple of weeks, and eventually made plans to meet each other in person. Then after a year of dating, we got engaged! We have a wedding set for next August. The popularity of tinder and online dating services is continuously growing, due to a wide variety of motivations from individual users.

Marriages which started online are becoming increasingly more common. Online dating services are now responsible for introducing 1 in 6 married couples (Nelson 2018). However, despite this fact, tinder is not exactly thought of as a place to meet your future husband or wife. In general, it is stereotyped as an app to be used for hookups (meaning casual sexual encounters). However, according to a research study by  Sumter, Vandenbosch, and Ligtenberg, this stereotype is not entirely accurate. “The current study was the first to demonstrate that Tinder should not be seen as merely a fun, hookup app without any strings attached, but as a multifunctional tool that satisfies various needs among emerging adults” (Sumpter et al. 2016). The study uncovered 6 different motivations that cause young adults (18-30) to use tinder: Love, Casual Sex, Ease of Communication, Self-Worth, Validation, Thrill of Excitement, and Trendiness (Sumpter et al. 2016).

What also interests me, is that people’s initial motivation to create a tinder profile may not match their results. For example, while I did find love on tinder, that is not the motivation (as outlined by Sumpter et al) that I would categorize myself under. I have Autism Spectrum Disorder and am very introverted, which can make meeting people in person very difficult for me; because of this, I would categorize my motivation to use tinder was Ease of Communication. A study by Elizabeth Timmermans and Elien De Caluwe actually specifically linked the personality trait of introversion to this motivation. “Introversion (low extraversion) is a personality trait that positively predicts social phobia. Therefore, it is likely that individuals with lower scores on extraversion are more likely to use the application to improve their social skills” (Timmetmans & De Caluwe 2017). I would say this finding definitely matches my own personal experience. Since I struggle making initial romantic connections in person, it helps to do it online and build those skills in an environment where I can take my time to craft responses. In the end though, I didn’t end up needing to build those skills, because I met the love of my life on tinder right away!

When my grandparents asked me where my fiancé and I met, they were very confused when I told them we met online. To them, the concept was very foreign. In fact, if Dylan I had been born in their generation, we likely would have never met. The platform of tinder has created a new landscape for romantic interaction which allows for a wide range of connections that may not have been possible in any other circumstance. Many different motivations bring people onto the app—where they are brought together in an environment where they explore their connections from the comfort of their smartphone. This story of tinder shows that as technology evolves, they way that we interact each other and find love will evolve with it.

Sources

Nelson, A. (2018). Penn State World Campus. PSYCH 424 Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 8: Media/Communications Technology. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942493/modules/items/25002532.

Sumter, Sindy R., et al. “Love Me Tinder: Untangling Emerging Adults’ Motivations for Using the Dating Application Tinder.” Telematics and Informatics, vol. 34, no. 1, 2017, pp. 67–78., doi:10.1016/j.tele.2016.04.009.

Timmermans, Elisabeth, and Elien De Caluwé. “To Tinder or Not to Tinder, That’s the Question: An Individual Differences Perspective to Tinder Use and Motives.” Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 110, 2017, pp. 74–79., doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.01.026.

Social media has become a factor that has brought about great change in the world today. It has affected all aspects of life that range from communication, economy, social connections, and self-presentation. This period in history is what is known as the digital age. Generally, mostly everything in an individual’s life is controlled or associated with technology. The aspects that are influenced by technology include a person’s social, financial, personal, and work-related factors. People have become dependent on technological devices and social media. It has become the epidemic of the modern world which poisons our brains, bodies, and hearts.

Growing up in the digital age has undoubtably brought about change in the usual upbringing of our children. It has affected our children on a social, cognitive, and emotional level. Young children are being exposed to more hours of television and game-content that alter their thinking and mood. They lack the exposure to other activities that are essential to their cognitive development. For example, young children that are constantly watching television do not develop a proper level of imagination. Additionally, according to Christopher Bergland (2013), television exposure impairs a child’s cognitive development and ultimately, has a correlation with attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Therefore, digital media not only impairs cognitive development, but it also may result in psychological disorders. In teenagers, social media can seriously affect their mental and emotional wellbeing. In this age, mostly all teenagers depend on social media as their source of entertainment or outlet. They have developed a need to know what is going on in other people’s lives as well as self-advertise their own lives by posting information or sharing pictures or videos.

One of the problems that young people face in the digital age is having a self-identity crisis as a result of the internet.  According to Carl Pickhardt (2014), every posted description of oneself, be it a social networking page or an online video tour of one’s computer desk layout or set-up, to everything beyond and in between, is an advertisement intended to define self, publicize personal image, enhance social standing, and attract attention from friends or family. As children, one identifies himself or herself through the attachment with their parents. When the teenage years make their way, teenagers detach from their parents and are more identifying with their social group. Furthermore, these are the years where a teenager changes identities in order to discover which person he/she is becoming. In the virtual world (the internet) adolescence become comfortable with the idea of expression through a computer screen. They become dependent of this factor and, as a result, do not develop the necessary charactiristics needed for face-to-face interaction. Additionally, teenagers can easily be manipulated by external factors that are presented on the internet that changes their thought, beliefs, and overall, self-image.

The problems that teenagers face affect their psychological, emotional and physical well-being. Psychologically, teenagers can develop of a form of addiction to social media or social communication. They are prone to situations such as cyber bullying which can ultimately affect their overall mental health. For example, a teenager that is cyber-bullied is at risk for developing depression and committing suicide. Emotionally, teenagers are prone to getting their feelings hurt because of the content found on the internet. In addition to cyber-bullying that causes hurt feelings, the way that the media portrays the ideal image of men and women can make teenagers feel angry, upset, or disappointed in themselves for not meeting those unrealistic body or beauty standards. Lastly, the internet can cause problems for individuals on a physical aspect as well. According to Mieko Okabe (2018), mobile phone users are usually chronically tired and suffer from headaches, vertigo, and stiff shoulders and necks. Additionally, internet usage has affected the amount of sleep that teenagers get. Usually, they are sleeping less than they should which would increase their development of insomnia. This will ultimately lead to loss of appetite, increased blood pressure, and less productivity.

In conclusion, the internet factor that one can not simply let go from their lives. However, it does cause problems on a social, psychological, emotional, and physical level when it is not used in moderation. The problems that arise from the abuse of the internet impact individuals and their societies together. The dangers of the internet can affect little children and develop into their teenage years. These first stages of life are essential for proper character, cognitive, and social development that are needed tools in order to function productively in society as adults. Education is an efficient way to bring about change to parents, teenagers, and other individuals about the responsible uses of the internet. Psychologists can develop education programs that bring awareness to the harmful causes that the internet can have when used in excess. However, they should also promote internet use in a responsible manner since society will continue to move into a digital age.

References:

Bergland, C. (2013, November 23). One More Reason to Unplug Your Television. Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201311/one-more-reason-unplug-your-television

Johnson, C. (2014, May 28). Growing up digital: How the Internet affects teen identity. Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865603981/Growing-up-digital-How-the-Internet-affects-teen-identity.html

Okabe, M. (2018, August 24). The problems of living in the digital age. Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2018/08/24/reader-mail/problems-living-digital-age/#.W80lxa15DBI

Pickhardt, C. E. (2014, May 26). Adolescence and Internet Identity. Retrieved October 21, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201405/adolescence-and-internet-identity

This year, when I asked my seven-year-old nephew what he wanted to dress as for Halloween, he immediately perked up and exclaimed, “Jason!” If you’re unfamiliar with who “Jason” is, he is the main villain in the Friday the 13th series of films. He is a man with a terrifying mask on his face, who continuously stalks and murders other characters with a giant machete. What shocked me the most about my nephew’s response (other than the fact that I was expecting him to say Ninja Turtle or a car from Transformers) was that he was genuinely excited to portray a violent horror movie character, who is a human, murdering other humans. When I was growing up, it was ghosts, witches and goblins who haunted my nightmares and inspired my costumes, but my nephew has entered into a new world of media that can deliberately show children just how horrible humans can be towards one another. Most researchers even define media violence as visual portrayals of acts of physical aggression by one human or human-like character against another (Huesmann, 2007)

Violence in media is something that will most likely never go away. If we were to limit the violence shown to us on our computers or televisions or video consoles, that would be considered downright unAmerican. My nephew has constant devices to access anything violent. He knows ways around parental controls, or he can simply grab my brothers iPad and search whatever he wants on Youtube. The access children have to media these days are surmountable compared to the access children have had in the past. Now, I’m not saying that any behavior my nephew has displayed has been worrisome in the slightest, he is a great kid, but the availability of this violent media he can assess is alarming.

Short-term exposure to violent media increases the likelihood of physically and verbally aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, and aggressive emotions. Recent large-scale longitudinal studies have shown that frequent exposure to violent media in childhood results in aggression later in life, including physical assaults and spouse abuse (Anderson et al., 2003). But, violent or aggressive actions seldom result from a single cause; rather, multiple factors converging over time contribute to such behavior. Accordingly, the influence of the violent mass media is best viewed as one of the many potential factors that influence the risk for violence and aggression. No reputable researcher is suggesting that media violence is “the” cause of violent behavior (Huesmann, 2007). Essentially, yes there is research that has proven that access to violent media can result in violent behavior later in life, but it is never the sole reason why the violence exists. Media can play a huge role in the behavior, but it is not the only reason behind it. Some studies have even focused on the impact of media violence on aggressive thinking, including beliefs and attitudes that promote aggression (Anderson et al., 2003). Violent media isn’t just influencing physical acts of violence, but it morphs the attitudes and thinking of young children.

Children have a way of emulating their experiences, what they watch, what they listen to and who they hear it from. I was a very impressionable child, who was constantly seeking understanding of the world around me. We may not be able to change the amount of violence shown in media, but we can do our part in making sure it is properly monitored for children. It’s easy to assume that parental controls will do the trick, but if a kid wants to see something, he or she will find a way. Vigilance and education are both extremely important in filtering out the beneficial media from the non-beneficial. Hopefully with enough awareness, we can keep our kids, kids, for longer, and hopefully my future child will just say “Ninja Turtle” instead of choosing a machete wielding murderer. Here’s to hoping.

References:

Huesmann, L. R. (2007). The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and Research. Journal of Adolescent Health,41(6). doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.005

Anderson, C. A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L. R., Johnson, J. D., Linz, D., . . . Wartella, E. (2003). The Influence of Media Violence on Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest,4(3), 81-110. doi:10.1111/j.1529-1006.2003.pspi_1433.x

Often when I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, or when I feel like I am losing focus, I will close (or temporarily) deactivate all my social media accounts. I pride myself on being self-aware, so it’s not hard for me to realize the off-putting and unnecessary amount of time I give to social media on a daily basis. While it is sad, it is a reality our world lives in. As soon as we wake up, we check our phones. When we’re standing in line at the store to checkout, we check our phones. Waiting for a friend at a restaurant, we check our phones. Even when our phone gives absolutely no indication that we have an unanswered text or phone call, many people (myself included) will check our phone without even realizing it because we thought we heard a chime. In the technological era we live in today, deactivating a social media account is almost like discovering a new world. Suddenly our attention is re-directed to people and things; suddenly details that we would have for sure missed before are abruptly now as clear as day.
In trying to understand why our attention seems to be more fleeting, cognitive psychologists have posed this question: is attention based on location or object? Depending on your environment, the answer is both. If you find yourself in a stagnant position, it will be based more so on the region (Goldstein, 2015). If you are in a more chaotic position, it will be based on an object, or objects (Goldstein, 2015).
For example, imagine you are sitting in your kitchen enjoying a cup of coffee. You are by yourself and other than the low hum of your refrigerator, it is completely silent. What does your attention go to? Maybe you start thinking of a grocery list for next week. Maybe you look at your countertops and start imagining what you would change if you had the money to renovate your kitchen. Maybe you see a magnet on your refrigerator from Paris, which leads you down memory lane to the trip you took a few years ago. Perhaps you smell your trash, reminding you to take it out once you get dressed. Because there is nothing “grabbing” your attention, you can focus on what you want, and for as long as you want. Now let’s switch our environment to be a bit more disordered.
Imagine you are sitting on a packed subway car. Where are your eyes led? Do you notice the advertisements, or the graffiti written on top of them? Maybe to avoid eye contact with someone you stare at the subway map, and start making mental notes of neighborhoods you want to explore later. Do you have headphones in? – Or are you listening to the conversation the man two rows behind you is having on his phone? Are you looking at what people are wearing? Some dressed in suits, some with backpacks, kids in school uniforms, etc. Maybe you look to see the different ethnicities of people. Or if you’re like me, you come up with stories for each person, imagining where they are going or coming from, what their apartment looks like, what kind of job they have, etc.
The interesting thing about the above scenario is that here we would be using what Treisman calls Attenuation Theory (McLeod, 2008). In laymen’s terms, we are being more selective with what we are lending our attention to. In this case, you could simultaneously be looking at the advertisements, listening to the music in your headphones and paying attention to each subway stop, to make sure you don’t miss yours. You are focusing on three different things, but your subway stop is always going to be at the forefront. If you notice though, the one thing I failed to mention in either scenario was the use of social media. In this way, social media seems to go hand in hand with the shortfalls we find when trying to multitask. Doctors have noticed a dramatic increase in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other similar attention disorders in children and the main perpetrator is technology and the use of social media. In referencing to multitasking in the digital age, Clifford Nass stated, “the research is almost unanimous, which is very rare in social science, and it says that people who chronically multitask show an enormous range of deficits. They’re basically terrible at all sort of cognitive task, including multitasking” (Wihbey, 2013).
Attention and our ability to categorize what to focus on is an interesting concept. How is it that a parent doing laundry two rooms down the hall can avert their attention to their two children arguing over a toy; yet, at the other end of the spectrum, a husband can pay attention to the score, names of players and constant movements of a basketball game, but not to his wife talking to him about their plans for the weekend? The answer is simple: our attention is bias. We pay attention to what we want, and when we want. If something is incapable of visually capturing our attention, we will only focus on what we deem to be worthy of our attention at that moment. In a way, the attention (or lack of attention) we distribute to things and people is our brains currency. It is the psychological version of supply and demand; as social media increasingly continues to play an active role in our lifestyle, so will the demand for our attention.

References:

Goldstein, E. Bruce. (2015). Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

McLeod, Saul. (2008). Selective attention. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/attention-models.html

Wihbey, John. (2013, July 11). Multitasking, social media and distraction: Research Review. Retrieved from https://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/social-media/multitasking-social-media-distraction-what-does-research-say

Media allows us to connect with a massive amount of people in the modern age. People all over the world are able to connect in a way that was impossible just a few decades ago. In addition, we are inundated with so much more information than ever before. Google is not only a massive data center that holds an answer to every question but “googling” is now a common verb in our vocabulary. But with all this new access to people and communication, are we benefitting or is it proving somewhat of a detriment? We may be making many more connections, meeting new people, but what is the value of these associations? As the world sees a significant increase in the rates of depression, (Weinberger et. el 2018) it suggests that this increase in media access may be overwhelming the psyches of our population.

With more than a billion people on Facebook, our access to new acquaintances and our potential for new connections is larger than ever. The current political landscape illustrates that this can be a powerful force for people; it provides the opportunity for people to organize in ways that have been limited in the past. But the social media profile is constructed by the user themselves and they are able to control the perception of themselves. This creates an opportunity for many people to falsely represent themselves. It was reported in the study Self-presentation and gender on MySpace(Manago, Graham, Greenfield & Salikman, 2008) that some users change their gender to explore the possibility of an identity outside their societal imposed gender roles.  While this is a fantastic opportunity for identity development for those who feel limited by current societal norms, it highlights a bigger issue. If our identities and happiness are reliant on our interactions and those connections are not made with real people, how does that affect the quality of our interactions and, ultimately, our well being?

In the same article by Manago et al (2008), they report that “we not only define ourselves in terms of our alliance with others but our self-definitions interconnect with the cognitive representations we have for significant others”. The general public is unquestionable making more connections in the world but it is possible that we are doing so under false pretenses and the quality of those connections are not what they could, or should, be to support a healthy sense of self. This explains that although we have access to many more connections and more information than ever before, we are still seeing an increase in depression and a lost sense of self.

References:
Weinberger, A., Gbedemah, M., Martinez, A., Nash, D., Galea, S., & Goodwin, R. (2018). Trends in depression prevalence in the USA from 2005 to 2015: Widening disparities in vulnerable groups. Psychological Medicine, 48(8), 1308-1315. doi:10.1017/S0033291717002781

Adriana M. Manago, Michael B. Graham, Patricia M. Greenfield, Goldie Salimkhan,

Self-presentation and gender on MySpace, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology,

Volume 29, Issue 6, 2008, Pages 446-458, ISSN 0193-3973, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.001.

The discussion on a social cognitive theory by Bangor’s four processes. The first act would be the attention they receive from performing the act. (Scheider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012) As attention is the first process of social cognitive theory can be exciting and entertaining to some and hence why it attracts the attention of some.     Some video games can violent, and addicting where other’s have to replicate video game actions.

Take, for instance, Fortnite dance moves.  The second process is a representative process where the modeled behavior is imitation. (Scheider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012) We see many stars, athletes and other popular figure demonstrating some of these moves.  Why, because they have gained attention from their fan, social media of them performing these moves, and so others will follow whatever they do.

Last spring, during baseball season,  I had my first real experience with seeing my sons’ baseball team and he performs some of these moves. The boys are out in the field, on first, second and even third base and in the dugout, they are doing these crazy moves. Which I found out later, was not medically induced but, dance moves from  “fortnight.”

As the third process is the production process of how someone learns the process of the behavior and imitates it. (Schedider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012) How proud to see your son, who should be paying attention is copying other teammates as one by one, they are passing their time doing these moves while playing baseball.  Thankfully, the coach did not approve of these ritual’s and told the boys, if they needed to do moves in the excitement of home runs, do them in the dugout.

The final process of Bandura’s model focus on social cognitive theory is the motivational process.  These dance moves are motivated to perform and imitate as they are rewarded by the reaction of not only by their peers but from parents.  As I also see, parents themselves try to perform these moves and they can do them quite well.  These moves are not for me, as I can not dance, so I leave it up to my kids.

https://tenor.com/view/fortnite-dance-the-floss-gif-11809160

You be the judge of the “floss move!!”

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

The media has an immense impact on body image for individuals of all races, genders, and ages, but seems to have the biggest effect on young girls. People are constantly flooded by media images via television, movies, social media, and/or magazines, the list is exhaustive and ever growing. All of these outlets tend to present an unrealistic representation of the average female, creating unreasonably high beauty standards for young girls to try to live up to.

Unrealistically high beauty standards can create an unhealthy self-image. Finding the perfection in others can highlight the imperfections that we see in ourselves. This is especially true for impressionable youth who are dealing with a multitude of changes and information that they are trying to sort through as they develop. These negative self-images and attempts to live up to the perfect embodiment can lead to the development of physical and psychological health issues. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia have been associated with the attempt to try to achieve the perfect body (Berk, 2013). Other issues include depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia (Berk, 2013).

Researchers have found an association between the media and body image in adults as well as adolescents. The fact that younger and younger children are being exposed to more and more media should be a huge concern. What effects will this have? Will we begin to see these issues related to body image in children even younger than adolescence? If so, what will be the long-term effects?

References

Berk, L. E. (2013). Exploring Lifespan Development. Hoboken: Pearson.

The portrayal of mental in media such as movies, books and TV shows is a common trope used to tell a compelling story that captivates an audience. Films such as Fight Club, Secret Window, Split and the classic Psycho all play on over-sensationalized versions of mental illnesses that have come with negative stereotypes relating to our personal understanding of mental illness.

“The worst stereotypes come out in such depictions: mentally ill individuals as incompetent, dangerous, slovenly, undeserving,” says Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of psychology at the University of California–Berkeley. “The portrayals serve to distance ‘them’ from the rest of ‘us.’”

While we are captivated by these films we tend to develop a fear and misconception of individuals who suffer from mental illness; it becomes engrained in our psyche that these individuals are dangerous and should be kept away from us for our safety. Every serial killer from Mike Myers from Halloween to Norman Bates of Psycho are mentally ill individuals with inhuman desire to hurt and kill individuals for the sake of enjoyment. Granted that most of these characters are based off of serial killers that have committed atrocious crimes due to mental abnormalities they have it is goes beyond saying that individuals likes these are a rare case compared to the large number of people who have to deal with mental illness their entire lives.

If media representations of mental illness aren’t improving, individuals can at least become aware of the insidious portrayals that shape their perceptions of real-life people with psychological disorders. That way, they can distinguish between fact and fiction, stereotype and reality and the characters onscreen vs. their real life peers. 

For most audiences who have little to no understanding of the truth behind mental illness a film could help propagate negative stereotypes that stay with them for a good portion of their lives. This is also amplified due to our history with treating mentally ill individuals in inhumane ways going as far back as the turn of the 20th century. Our fascination with the abnormal hasn’t breed enough compassion or understanding to dilute the negative effects of film stereotypes that are continuously portrayed on the silver screen. Instead we as a society still have this chasm between what we considered to be normal and abnormal leading to individuals with serve mental illness to be alienated and misrepresented.

Mental illness itself isn’t the only thing misrepresented in media but also the entire premise of psychology. There seems to be a less that accurate representation of psychology in film that once again relies on the stereotypes and often than not outdated versions of theories and practices that come with the territory. One example that impacted me was the final scenes of the movie “Requiem For a Dream” in which one of the stars of the film who was suffering from a mental episode was forcefully administered shock therapy. Her last scene shows her suffering from the after effects of going through what I can only describe an inhuman treatment. These stereotypes only strengthen negative stereotypes of individuals with mental illness without any effort to properly educate individuals about the realities that most individuals suffer from their entire lives. I believe there needs to be more of an effort to educate the general public about the truth behind mental illness and to remind individuals that what we see on the screen doesn’t always represent reality.

(Warning NSFW)

Aronofsky, D. (Director). (2000). Requiem for a dream [Motion picture]. Paris: Aventi.

How Mental Illness is Misrepresented in the Media. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/04/16/how-mental-illness-is-misrepresented-in-the-media

In the early child education field as a whole, there is currently a significant concern for employee turnover. While I have worked with the same company for ten years I seem to be an exception. Many of the employees who choose to work with us are looking for just a temporary or part time position while they continue their education or after they have retired from a different field of work. Once they finish their school or retire completely they move on to the next stage of their life. Another problem with retaining employees is the popular opinion that early learning providers are simply “babysitters” and it is an easy job. If you can imagine caring for 30 three year olds or 12 one year olds with just one co-teacher then you already know how easy it is! However, sometimes it takes awhile before our shining energetic new employee realizes this job isn’t for them and once again we are at a loss. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to offer the employees competitive enough salaries or benefits to match the school systems or larger companies. So what is a business supposed to do?

There is more behind an organization then the amount of money their employees earn, the key is finding what motivates and builds loyalty in your particular team. As new studies have found, the one-size-fits-all approach to benefits and incentives doesn’t work on the emerging generation of workers. The new age of the workforce has learned what previous generations never did, life is too short to spend it all at a job. “Millenials desire more than just money, material goods, and time off. More than any previous generation, they are in searching of meaning in their work. The likelihood of a Millennial staying in a work environment in which they are not shown the bigger picture or the opportunities that lie ahead for them are slim.” (Millennials Will Work Hard, Just Not For Your Crappy Job) What does this mean? That organizations need to change how we treat staff and look at them as partners instead of just workers and social psychology has plenty of ideas for that!

Where do we start? It can be challenging to revamp your environment and training techniques especially after years of success. Gaining the loyalty of your new Millenials may seem impossible, but it really just takes a few basic steps. Let’s begin with what they want, empowerment. Unlike the rumors that spread about them.. Millenials are ready to work and just as anxious to make a real impact on our world; they just want to know WHY.   “Explain in detail why you do things the way you do. Nothing is more common and more frustrating than the “because that’s the way we do it around here” response when someone is struggling to understand the reason for a particular system or procedure.” (Millennials Will Work Hard, Just Not For Your Crappy Job.) The Social Exchange Theory teaches us that our interactions with each other can be considered exchanges or transactions. Employer interactions are no different. While informing staff about policies or discussing concerns, be sure to demonstrate reciprocity. Millenials appreciate when their boss and management teams use positive, open body language with encouragement instead of just criticisms.

Millienials also like to feel as though they are in control of their future and are entitled to have more. With the Observational Theory in social psychology, staff can be encouraged to display the ideal workplace characteristics, if the same are being modeled for them. If employees are shown positive advancement opportunities, highly dedicated and motivated management teams and an attitude of high employee moral in their peers will encourage new employees to feel the same. Additionally, using self-verification theories to build an understanding of what your workers are looking for and providing opportunities can optimize the loyalty of your team. For example, since we know this generation is driven by hands-on knowledge and instant feedback; provide paid days to attend workshops or conferences for them to obtain new knowledge and then allow them to take the lead bringing it back to the workplace. Not only will they feel they are gaining a lead in their knowledge, they also will relish in the chance to be in the spotlight. From these opportunities new titles can be developed such as “Training Manager” or “IT Specialist” that are not usual departments in small businesses but can give these employees the sense of belonging and extra responsibility they are searching for.

Reference:https://medium.com/swlh/millennials-will-work-hard-just-not-for-your-crappy-job-82c12a1853ed

Law enforcement in theory is suppose to help communities and protect citizens from crimes and violence. What happens when Law enforcement is more of a problem than a solution? Recently we have seen an influx of groups protesting police brutality against African-American communities; it led to the controversial group Black Lives Matter to shine a light on such injustices being committed in the United States. Police reform would have been a reasonable answer to such a lingering problem, instead there has been a doubling down of support for officers and the current status-quo of tactics used by police officers that are left to their discretion. The problem has grown to such uncomfortable proportions that any criticism towards police officers are often seen as pure disrespect and a call of “unpatriotic”. Groups further assembled the likes of Blue Lives Matter to shield police officers from any criticism caused by their actions.

Race relations have always been a prominent and volatile subject here in the United States; yet there much to be said about mental illness that often gets swept away under the rug.

In 2015 and 2016 combined, nearly 500 people with mental illness were fatally shot by the police, according to calculations by the Washington Post. This means that for each of those years, one in four police shootings was of a person with mental illness (vox,2015).

As reported by Vox 1 in 4 police shootings was of a person with illness (Vox,2015); which brings the question why is this the case one of the most wealthiest and developed countries in the world? There have been efforts to create an intervention to help mitigate the loss of life in cases like these. Psychologists often release reports highlighting the sad realities of individuals suffering from mental illness being very likely to be killed by police officers. It’s important to state that this in no way is an effort to paint all law enforcement with a broad brush as there are police officers who don’t receive enough credit for diffusing situations using calm and stern approaches to not only save lives of individuals but also to protect themselves. Yet, that is not what is being argued, the problem is larger and it revolves around the inability to enact progressive reform in police departments. Police officers need to learn how to diffuse situations with individuals especially those suffering from mental illness; the tactics that need to be used are not of a full force/lethal force but of intelligence and compassion.

Although Keith was calm, the officer called for backup. Bryon Vassey, an officer from the neighboring Southport Police Department, showed up. Vassey is in his mid-​40s; he has broad shoulders, a thick neck, a ruddy face, and close-​cropped hair. He’d been on the Southport police force for 11 years. “I don’t have time for this shit,

There were two officers across his chest; his stepfather was at his side, trying to get the screwdriver. Wilsey was behind her husband. Seconds later, Vassey pulled out his gun and shot the boy in the chest. The EMTs rushed him to the local hospital, where he was declared dead.

As shown above this was a case of an officer not assessing the situation properly and it led to the death of a young adult whose parents called 911 to help him. The continuation of such police brutality will deter individuals from seeking help from law enforcement in such cases; this can lead to much more dangerous situations. There is a desperate need for police officers to be better trained to understand how to deal with mentally ill individuals through advocacy groups who have the ability to help officers understand which forms of intervention are effective in mitigating death or injury. It’s also important to understand that criticism of police officers isn’t disrespect but a civil duty in order to protect all members of society who interact with police officers.

Roth, A. (2018, May 30). A worried mom wanted the police to take her mentally ill son to the hospital. They shot him. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2018/5/30/17406900/police-shootings-mental-illness-book-vidal-vassey-mental-health

Immediately following our most recent presidential election, a new Twitter and Facebook group popped up on the internet called @womensmarch. Just 3 days later, 44,000 individuals committed to attending the first Women’s March, scheduled in Washington D.C. for January 21, 2017, the day the president was inaugurated. Ultimately, almost one million people showed up! But it didn’t stop there. Almost every major city in the United States held their own march in protest of the patriarchy and in support of women’s freedom around the world. In fact, there were marches on all seven continents around the world. Even Antarctica. 

I am not looking to get political here, however. I am looking to shed light on the impact of social media on the insanely quick spread of information and organization of mass demonstrations. This includes everything from the actual organization of a peaceful protest to the start of a new movement with a single Tweet. 

A woman named Tarana Burke had been advocating for rising above sexual harassment for about a decade. When actress and political activist, Alyssa Milano, caught wind of Tarana’s efforts, she tweeted to her followers: 

Thus, the beginning of a brand new movement that you would have to be locked in a cave with Kimmy Schmidt for the last 2 years to avoid: #MeToo. Within seconds, social media launched Americans into a new wave.

Imagine a time where things were much worse off than we have it now, in a world where there were no laws against racial discrimination and no laws protecting women (to name just a few), but rather schools had segregated bathrooms and women were not allowed to vote. People were clearly outraged and this was evident in their protests and demonstrations that ultimately lead to major lawful and societal change. But also imagine how these protests and demonstrations got organized. They took time. People had to go to meetings and plan out how they would reach mass amounts of people. They had to really dig into their resources to reach people. 

But today, with the push of a send button, you can hashtag a new movement to organize millions of people around the world. (You can even use the word hashtag as a verb, like I just did.)

It is clear, however, that social media is just the tool with which we use to our advantage to reach people. The movements and ideas are not created by social media, rather they are created by human beings who have something to say. Social media is merely our tool to facilitate that. 

I picture myself living 50 years ago and wondering what I would have done to voice my opinion. When statements are made on television by the POTUS, today’s people are able to instantly respond. Some may say this is a bad thing since there is a prevalence of bullies hiding behind their computer screen with the ability to say (mostly) whatever they want without consequence. But it is my opinion that social media does more good than harm and it is evident in how people are coming together in solidarity, supporting issues they feel are important. 

Just days ago, a dance teacher in Texas wrote a song in response to the patriarchy who said that it’s a hard time for men in today’s society. It instantly went viral and she now has 75,000 followers on Twitter and performed her song with a chorus of women on Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show. It would have taken much longer to get her message out there if it weren’t for social media. I will conclude and leave you with Lynzy’s video: https://twitter.com/LynzyLab/status/1049215347025465344

I’m a big fan of true crime podcasts, and it seems that I’m not the only one out there that helps contribute to this phenomenon. Wildly popular podcasts like Serial, Sword & Scale, Dirty John, and Dr. Death have create a new niche for how we receive detailed information about cases that are fascinating. But, these podcasts don’t just cover the guilty ones, but examine cases where an innocent person was accused and convicted of a crime. One episode of Sword & Scale that called out to me, was an episode covering the case of Ray McCann.

In 2007, a young girl was known to be missing in the small town of Constantin, Michigan. Ray McCann, a neighbor who had known the family, suggested they maybe search the cemetery. When they did, they unfortunately found their deceased daughter. From then on out, all fingers pointed to McCann, who insisted that he was just racking his brain for possible solutions as to where the girl could have run off to. The town, his family, his friends, all turned against him. He was interrogated beyond belief, and even with DNA being found on the scene that was not a match to him, he was arrested and convicted for the murder of Jodi Pallack.

Fortunately, Jodi’s murder was eventually truthfully solved and McCann was released, but it took him 10 years to clear his name. McCann isn’t the first person to be falsely accused of a crime, and he definitely isn’t the last. That’s why the Innocence Project has been such a compelling aspect of true crime for me. A pair of two New York lawyers, Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, joined together in the late 1980s to fight against wrongful convictions. Their main focus was using new technology and DNA evidence to prove the innocence of falsely imprisoned individuals. As Scheck has explained, “This is what has been extraordinary about the Innocence Project: each exoneration is a learning moment for the whole criminal justice system. We’ve learned a lot about the causes of wrongful conviction.” (Jane Gitschier, 2013).

The Innocent Project has now had 350 DNA exonerations to date (“Our Impact, 2018), and are constantly focused on helping those who cannot help themselves. They have families who contact them, begging to have them look at a case. People desperately want help trying to prove that the system had failed them. They work on exonerating, improving, reforming, and supporting individuals who are going through these wrongful convictions (“Our Impact”, 2018).

These attorneys are changing our country and possibly changing the world. They’re educating people on the frequency of wrongful conviction, and are putting a spotlight on our judicial system. I think what they are doing is absolutely incredible and necessary. With their tireless work, it can hopefully influence how our judicial system makes these decisions. The Innocent Project estimates that 1 percent of the US prison population, approximately 20,000 people, are falsely convicted in prison right now (“How Many Innocent People are in Prison?”, 2011) And hopefully with these types of organizations, those people will have proper representation, proper guidance, and proper help to prove their innocence and rehabilitate into the world.

References:

Gitschier, J. (2013). The Innocence Project at Twenty: An Interview with Barry Scheck. PLoS Genetics,9(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1003692

How Many Innocent People are in Prison? (2011, December 12). Retrieved from https://www.innocenceproject.org/how-many-innocent-people-are-in-prison/

Our Impact. (2018). Retrieved from https://25years.innocenceproject.org/impact/

The internet is a valuable thing where one can gather information, network, communicate with others, along with many other things. Now-a-days, people more than likely pay their bills and do their shopping online as well. An issue that is very present currently is online dating. Social media has influenced modern dating, through applications such as Tinder, OkCupid, Bumble, and Plenty Of Fish. A problem that comes along with online dating is that a person’s “digital self” may not be true to their “physical self”. According to psychologist, Tamara Hicks “we all have a digital self, a mask that we put on to engage the technological world (2010).”

The issue arises when one pretends to be someone they’re not and lies about who they really are. People on online dating applications may already be married/in a relationship, lie about their age, or have the potential to be an online predator. It is important to take the necessary precautions when using social media and online dating applications, such as understanding the red flags and warning signs, along with meeting for the first time in a public place. It is important to keep communication on the application only, until you get to know the person better, therefore one can avoid falling victim to scams and predators. And as mentioned in an earlier blog post-trust your gut feeling, as the brain and gut are connected.

Reference

Hicks, T.J. (2010 August 23). Understanding and creating your digital self. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-digital-self/201008/understanding-and-creating-your-digital-self

“I can understand it with some of those old guys on the ward. They’re nuts.
But you, you’re not exactly the everyday man on the street, but you’re not nuts.”
—One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey

Inventing the Crime Of Mental Illness

What happens when something other than crime causes a person to be imprisoned? What if laws and policies are made and broken in such a way that you, personally, suddenly fall into the definition of “criminal,” without having done anything wrong? The history of psychology is intertwined with the struggle against the criminalization of the mentally ill. And modern progress in this area has been slow and rocky.

The science of psychology was born out of the simple knowledge that there are real explanations for mental illness that have nothing to do with balancing of Humors nor demonic possession, and that there were also ways to treat and cope with these illnesses which had nothing to do with bloodletting, trephination, purging, nor the like. Considering the utter darkness of depths from which psychology has risen, a great deal of progress has been made. But it has not been one giant, magical leap into awareness, compassion, and the use of true scientific approach.

The evolution of psychology has been a slow and complicated process. In addition, it has not always been linear—fraught with missteps and setbacks. Although psychologists did finally convince society (on the whole) that individuals with mental illness should be helped, rather than ostracized or punished, and had developed a relativelyimproved idea of what mental illness really meant, psychologists still didn’t quite know what to dowith the mentally ill, nor howto go about the actual helping. As an example, from the establishment of the U.S.’s first hospital exclusively for the mentally ill in 1773 (“Diseases of the Mind,” 2017) it took over 170 years for the U.S. government to step in and realize it needed to regulate these kinds of facilities (despite repeated exposés on the egregious treatment of patients) (National Mental Health Act, 1946).

But, I would like to focus on the modern justice system in the U.S. and its relationship with psychology, without outlining everyantecedent for steps in the timeline. There is one era that seems especially important in forming modern perspectives on the mentally ill and moving away from society’s insistence on lumping them (and those with learning disorders and even physical disorders) in with the criminal. In 1967, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (1967) was passed in California as a measure to ensure that those who were involuntarilycommitted to a mental institution actually belonged there. Before this time, it was relatively easy to have a person committed against their will. Between the National Mental Health Act of 1946 and this legislation, the number of patients in psychiatric hospitals topped out in 1955, nearing 600,000 (“Olmstead,” 2009). The 1967 legislation allowed for a 72-hour holding period, during which an individual would be evaluated by trained mental health professionals, before determining if the person should be committed (Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, 1967).

While this seemed a positive step for the rights of the mentally ill, at least one effect was devastating: the year after this legislation was enacted, the number of mentally ill individuals who entered prisons doubled (Abramson, 1972). These individuals were not receiving the help they needed. Instead, they were becoming part of the criminal justice system, the majority of whom having committed no real crime.

Since this time, the United States attempted to neutralize this negative effect, with a few swings in the right direction… and, unfortunately, even more regressions. In 1980, the Mental Health Systems Act was enacted, providing communities with resources to treat those who were mentally ill but were not criminal nor candidates for involuntary committal (Mental Health Systems Act, 1980). However, the next year this was repealed (due to a change in U.S. administrations) and mental health spending was cut by 30% (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, 1981). Despite the fact that individuals without mental health care flooded into the homeless populations (Lamb, 1984), the federal government further pulled back on their already-limited funding for mental health, saying that this should be more the responsibility of the states. But, after the Great Recession, states were forced to cut billions from their mental health budgets (Glover, Miller, & Sadowski, 2012). In short, those with mental illness were less likely to be unjustly committed to a mental institution, but they were not receiving help either. Instead, they were diverted into homelessness and into prisons.

Social psychology has had an influence on how the U.S. criminal justice system creates interventions to rehabilitate individuals who have committed crimes. It also provides great insight into prevention of criminal activity by studying, understanding, and spreading knowledge about concomitant behaviors, attitudes, and situations which make it more likely for an individual to take part in a crime. But laws and policies that are already in place also add to the overwhelming numbers of people who need the help of mental health professionals, but are denied that help—abandoning them to the criminal justice system where, rather than being helped through their struggles, they are punished for them.

__________________________________________

References

Abramson, M. F. (1972). The Criminalization of Mentally Disordered Behavior. Psychiatric Services, 23(4), 101-105. doi:10.1176/ps.23.4.101

Diseases of the Mind: Highlights of American Psychiatry through 1900 – Early Psychiatric Hospitals and Asylums. (2017, January 18). Retrieved October 12, 2018, from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/diseases/early.html

Glover, R. W., Miller, J. E., & Sadowski, S. R. (2012). Proceedings on the State Budget Crisis and the Behavioral Health Treatment Gap: The Impact on Public Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Systems. National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. Retrieved October 12, 2018, from https://www.nasmhpd.org/sites/default/files/Summary-Congressional Briefing_March 22_Website(2).pdf.

Kesey, K. (1962). One flew over the cuckoo?s nest. New York: New American Library.

Lamb, H. R. (1984). Deinstitutionalization and the Homeless Mentally Ill.Psychiatric Services, 35(9), 899-907. doi:10.1176/ps.35.9.899

Lanterman-Petris-Short Act. (1967). Part of California’s Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC).

Mental Health Systems Act (1980).

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2017, February 17). Retrieved October 12, 2018, from https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-almanac/national-institute-mental-health-nimh

National Mental Health Act (1946)

Olmstead v. L.C.: 10 Years Later. (2009, July 09). Retrieved October 12, 2018, from http://www.gpb.org/georgiagazette/featuredstories/olmstead
chart viewable at http://www.gpb.org/files/pdfs/georgiagazette/state_county.jpg

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (1981).

Imagine you’ve got a large group of dogs on a farm. For the most part they all get along. They’re all loving and obedient and nothing could go wrong. Until it does. One day one of the smaller dogs is attacked. Then the next day another one is attacked. You vaguely recall seeing the second attack, however it was night. But this is enough to determine the size of the dog that has been doing the attacking and pick out five likely dogs that could be doing the misdeed. But all the dogs are calm and friendly. However you’re fairly confident that it is one of them that is actually violent. There is a looming pressure to find out which dog is actually violent. You can’t let this happen again. You need to pick one. You need to separate it and punish it. But which one is it? What if you pick the wrong one? Do you really have enough evidence because you briefly think you saw something?

Misidentification is a serious issue in the American justice system today. While we would all like to believe that we are infallible and that our memories true and just, that simply is not the case. It is well known that memory is a flexible thing that can be influenced by a number of factors including stress, time and mood (Smeets et al, 2008). A large issue in the face of the justice system is the misidentification that occurs during police lineups. One study found that from a database of 500 cases that involved wrongful convictions, 60% of them were related to cases of misidentification in police lineups. That number is staggering. Imagine being innocent, but having the unfortunate displeasure of looking somewhat similar to a criminal and then being accused of their crime.

Memory is a powerful thing. We rely heavily upon it, but when it comes to the justice system, memory should not play as large a part as it does. There is simply too much that can go wrong. There are too many factors that affect memory, and when memory can be the crux of a conviction, the consequences can be devastating.

Huff, C. R., Rattner, A., & Sagarin, E. (1986). Guilty until proved innocent – wrongful conviction and public police. Crime and Delinquency, 32(4), 518-544. Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/9840286?accountid=13158

Smeets, Tom & Otgaar, Henry & Candel, Ingrid & T Wolf, Oliver. (2008). True or false? Memory is differently affected by stress-induced cortisol elevations and sympathetic activity at consolidation and retrieval. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 33. 1378-86. 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.07.009.

Scared Straight was a documentary that was filmed in the 1970’s that followed a group of juvenile delinquents and their experience spending three hours with convicts serving life sentences. The point of the show was to scare the juveniles so that they would avoid prison life. It won an academy award and subsequent follow up movies took place. Then in the 2000’s one of the highest rated programs on TV aired for many years on the network A&E and was titled Beyond Scared Straight. What ended up happening was the show got cancelled after the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice did a test on the Scared Straight program using a control group. The study concluded that the program was actively increasing crime rates and was leading to higher re offense rates than in the control groups that did not receive the intervention. Follow up studies have taken place and the evidence supports that the program has done more harm than anything else. Not only did it not help the children it was meant to help but in In 2004 the Washington State institute for Public Policy estimated that each dollar spent on Scared Straight programs incurred costs of $203.51. This reminded me of what we learned about the Stanford Prison experiment and how those who were the prisoners who experienced degrading forms of punishment suffered from psychological effects including disorganized thinking, fits of rage, and acute depression. It also made me think about how many people in our country are currently in prison and how many of the are not in there for violent crimes but yet are living in close quarters with those who are violent offenders. There is a range of prison environments ranging from cold brutal holding cells to therapeutic correctional facilities where people learn trades and the goal is to reintegrate them into society. However a huge problem is that there is no consistent method for assigning people to each type of prison. There are so many people serving time for non violent crimes who are being exposed to traumatizing stimuli and violent environments and who upon returning to society, much like the juveniles from the Scared Straight program, are returning depressed, angry and thinking in a disorganized way. It takes a strong person to spend time in prison and then upon getting out build themselves back up in a world where your permanent record isn’t just something your teachers threaten you with in school.

I recently binge watched a series on Oxygen called Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers. This was a story of a young 19-year-old girl from Mississippi that was burned alive. This young girl was found on the side of a rural road near her burning car on December 6, 2014. Jessica Chambers was doused with an accelerant and set on fire and shortly died after her arrival to the hospital. The murder trial made headlines and divided this tiny town in Mississippi after a young black man was arrested an accused of murder. I then thought to myself, since this murder and arrest made headlines, how is this man ever supposed to receive a fair trial in his county?

The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees a criminal defendant the right to “an impartial jury.” This is a fundamental guarantee that is part of a criminal defendant’s basic right to a fair trial, which encompasses the right to be judged by a jury of his or her peers and on the basis of evidence presented at trial. I think the key to that statement is presented at trial. What happens when the jurors have been presented information prior to even being selected? Information obtained before or outside is not supposed to influence any decisions, but we are humans, and can we really make that guarantee? Let’s combine that with the “presumption of innocence” that should be considered in regard to defendants prior to trial. It’s unfortunate that in a media-saturated society, given a high-profile status, essentially defendants are found guilty in the media prior to trial. With these high-profile cases, jurors may be profoundly affected by any press reports (Bakhshay, S., & Haney, C., 2018), especially when the reports are inflammatory. Media news coverage of criminal cases may also contain prejudicial information that may be legally inadmissible at trial, but which is disseminated to the public nonetheless (Daftary-Kapur, Penrod, O’Connor, & Wallace, 2014; Imrich et al., 1995).

Local and national news outlets are significant since individuals rely heavily on these outlets for news and crime coverage. When these sources deliver biased coverage of a crime, this can have an adverse effect and influence on criminal cases, potentially prejudicing jurors. In this particular case, since this young man was arrested somewhere around 11 months after the crime was committed, there was already public outcry based on the information presented in the media. This added pressure to local law enforcement to arrest a suspect. Not only was this case affected by the news media, but there were also a lot of social media sites popping up with people playing detective and making racially charged assumptions (everyone is a couch detective). When this young man went to trial, the town was already racially divided with whites wanting him to be found guilty, and blacks wanting him to have a fair trial (as they believed he was not guilty but someone had to take the fall). They were aware of this, so in an effort to remedy this, they moved the trial 250 miles away, however it was already too late.

So, what is the solution, when the media and the prosecutor’s office use their platform to sensationalize a case and bias the public opinion, including information that would be legally excluded from trial? They can continue to move venue locations, which may help, but what happens after that? How is the defendant expected to receive a fair trial? This is part of the legal and criminal justice system that is broken and needs not reformation but a complete overhaul. The current justice system needs to be rebuilt, allowing defendants the opportunities that are afforded to them by the United States Constitution.

On another note, the outcome for the young man arrested in the Jessica Chambers case was a mistrial. The jury could not come to a unanimous decision, with a disproportionate number of whites voting guilty and other votes from blacks were not guilty. He was re-tried recently, and again the outcome was another mistrial.

https://i0.wp.com/timandersonlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Trenton-criminal-defense-attorney.jpg?fit=849%2C565&ssl=1

References:

Bakhshay, S., & Haney, C. (2018). The media’s impact on the right to a fair trial: A content analysis of pretrial publicity in capital cases. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 24(3), 326-340. doi:10.1037/law0000174

Daftary-Kapur, T., Penrod, S. D., O’Connor, M., & Wallace, B. (2014). Examining pretrial publicity in a shadow jury paradigm: Issues of slant, quantity, persistence and generalizability. Law and Human Behavior, 38, 462–477. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000081

Goldstein, E. B. (2015). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research, and everyday experience. Stamford: Cengage Learning.

Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers [Television series]. (2018, September/October). Oxygen.

It took me a really long moment to come up with what to discuss this blog, so I decided to stay true to my usual format and talk about something that hits close to home. In this case it’s coping with failing system that is our police force. To be clear I’ve actually had zero bad interactions with the police (Useless but not negative), and until recently I was under the illusion that every officer that took the oath to protect and serve, would protect me. The last few years have proven me wrong, and at this point you might be thinking if I have had zero negative interactions with the police, why do I believe I was under an illusion? The answer to that question cannot be answered by looking at the last few years of my life. No the answer must be traced back first to the early 2000s, I was in my mid-teens, when I had my first interaction with an officer. A white police officer showed up at my door in the middle of the night asking after my younger cousin who wasn’t even thirteen. Apparently he had run away and he was looking for him, and I remember being clearly seized with the need to A not open my door and B afraid that he would come in anyway regardless of what I wanted and C not to help him. For my cousin’s sake I did assure him that we would contact my Aunt if he showed up here, and that he hadn’t run to our house unfortunately (Not my cousin did return home safely). If the police are the good guys, why had I reacted that way? Fast forward to 2012, I had just gotten off work, I was exhausted and just wanted to get home, I had hardly turned the corner and passed a police station I had always passed on the way home. I used my turn signal and had made a complete stop at the stop sign prior to merging onto the main road heading for the highway at this particular intersection. (The police station essentially broke this road into two, hence a merging lane). So why was I being stopped? I immediately pulled over and was seized with panic. Panic that in my usually tolerant area, some police officer was going to claim I had failed to stop or use my turn signal or any other number of random traffic offenses i could imagine. For all I knew I was going to jail.  I was terrified because I had tossed my back pack in the trunk and my wallet was there. Even though I intended to clearly inform him would he still think I had a weapon? Were my hands where he could see them? Did I look high or drunk even though I had literally just left work? Can I sound white enough that I would be considered one of the good ones? So many thoughts in the minute it took him to flash a bright light preventing me from looking back to see him approaching the car. As I said I’ve had no negative interactions, it turns out I was so tired that when I turned on my car, my daylights flashed in the window and I thought I had my lights on. He was validly concerned I was drunk, and just told me to drive safely after I had my lights on and walked away after checking my license and insurance. The ordeal was over in less than five minutes we were both polite and went our separate ways. And yet I still had a strong anxiety response to this man. And then all the shootings happened and that feeling hasn’t gotten better. I’m planning on driving through CA, NV, ID, and MT with my wife this November on our way to Canada. And I’m now wondering if I should only let my wife drive near towns because she’s white and she’s protected. I don’t want any problems and since I currently don’t live in the U.S. I have no idea what’s safe. Even CA has a few sketchy deaths on the books when it comes to police interaction with black people. But this is what coping looks like hiding behind your white friends, it’s avoiding situations that might involve police, and wondering if maybe a different route might be better because you’re about to drive not through one but three states. And while not all republicans are racist, at this point I am of a mind that all racists are republican. So where and when will I run into this ugliness. Where and when will I become a target, and because I am in a moving vehicle will they be sitting in that police car I unconsciously learned to fear? Will I make it home with my wife or will she be a widow simply because I was driving while black?  Hopefully I’ll be finishing this class and we’ll know I survived the trip whatever may occur.

References:

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

“Native American cultures of the United States and Canada, variation to the criminal justice system developed in the 1980s. The First Nations of the Yukon and local justice officials attempted to build closer ties between the community and the formal justice system. In 1991, Judge Barry Stuart of the Yukon Territorial Court introduced the sentencing circle as a means of sharing the justice process with the community.” (Parker, 2018)

What are sentencing  Circles?  Sentencing circles represent anyone that commits a crime can draw on traditional healing practices of North American aboriginal cultures. (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, pg 264, 2012)  They are supposed to represent another way to restore justice and focus on healing from the victim, the offender, and the community.   Usually, attendees can include victims, offenders, friends, family members, and members of the community. Such as elders, and representatives of the traditional criminal justice system.  Along with judges, lawyers and/or police.  (2012)

Within the sentencing circle, each member has a chance to speak and while they speak, they hold the talking piece which can be a feather, rock, stick or anything relevant with meaning. Each circle is led by a “keeper”, who directs the movement of the talking piece.  (2018) Then its passed from one person to the other until all are heard.  At the end of the process, the group will decide on the best sanction that addresses the needs of the stakeholders as it will be agreed upon the offender, victim, and police, lawyer and/or judge.  Which is different from the typical justice system.  (2012) Once everyone has agreed and the document has been signed, the sanction will be carried out.

Sometimes, the agreement and the severity of the crime can be as simple as an apology along with community service, pay for damages, and/or community work, banishment to a wilderness location.  Also, a counseling program for substance abuse, and/or anger management to name a few. (2012)  For the most part, the process is seen as fair as it allows each person to have a voice and to work together in finding a solution.  (2018) The main point, the person who has been found guilty, does get punished, but once different from the usual justice system,  is that all people who are involved are heard within the sentencing circle.

References

Parker, L (2018) Prison Fellowship International Centre for Justice & Reconciliation (2018) Retrieved Online Friday, October 12, 2018, From:http://restorativejustice.org/contact/#sthash.X93mzwy2.dpbs and http://restorativejustice.org/restorative-justice/about-restorative-justice/tutorial-intro-to-restorative-justice/lesson-3-programs/circles/#sthash.SoueihOP.dpbs

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

As I was studying the general personality and social psychological model of behavior, which assesses eight categories of risk factors that increase the likeliness an individual will engage in criminal behavior (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012), I grew increasingly worried for a number of youth in the community that I work in. There are too many children that fit into most of, if not all of, the categorical risk factors, and at a relatively young age.

I attempt to reevaluate my worry into awareness and thus, I am on a constant quest to discover new ideas and interventions to brighten the future and broaden the path of the children I work with. I feel strongly that early intervention is a major key to minimizing poor decision making which compounds and eventually may lead to criminal behavior. Social and environmental influences are powerful components to a child’s life. Where there are multiple social and environmental influences there is a need for multiple treatment plans to address each influential social system. Multisystemic Therapy “attempts to influence the multiple social systems in which young people are embedded to bring about a decrease in criminal behavior” (Schneider, 2012). This therapy system attempts to intervene in homes, schools, within communities, peer groups, and more (Schneider, 2012).

The text questions whether an adolescent would still be alive today if his assailants had been in an intervention program such as the MST program (Schneider, 2012). I question whether an intervention such as the MST program, that begins in the schools, would eliminate or minimize the externalizing behaviors that I see on a daily basis and even reduce the risk of future criminal behavior.

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

I used to want to go to law school. I’ve always had a thing for fighting for the underdog and helping people when they are down. I thought that becoming a lawyer would fulfill this desire for me. After experiencing and learning about our legal system, I am SO glad that I did not go down that road.

I think that most Americans have this perception that the legal system is “just” and “fair” and if you aren’t guilty, you have nothing to worry about. The truth is, that’s not true. One would think that if a plaintiff or defendant has the option to represent oneself, the legal system would be relatively easy to navigate. It’s not. This is exactly why we have lawyers. They are kind of like Unions. For example, a teachers union represents teachers. If a teacher is brought to court for due process, the Union represents the teacher. The teacher needs this, because the teacher needs a bigger, more powerful person to represent them to get a better outcome. It is the same in our judicial system. I have been in court before where there was a citizen representing themselves and the judge literally told them, that’s not a smart idea. Personally speaking, I went through a terrible divorce where everything had to be litigated. It took four years and cost me three figures in court fees, filing fees and attorney fees. I ended up getting what was most important to me, but I strongly believe that if I didn’t have an attorney, I wouldn’t have that outcome. I’d even go as far to say, if I didn’t have an exceptional, expensive lawyer I would not have that outcome. To me, it seems that anyone’s court outcome is directly relative to how much money is spent on legal council. There are many examples of this from high profile cases to just being in court for a day and seeing who has representation and who doesn’t and seeing the outcomes of those cases.

For me, this made me lose faith in our judicial system. And that make me sad. I have always prided the American judicial system as the best in the world. As time goes on, I think that ideal is slipping away. I no longer have the faith in our system that I once did. One only needs to know that there have been hundreds of convicted death row inmates set free based on new DNA evidence and that there are entire organizations devoted to freeing the wrongly accused. Where did our perfect, just system go wrong? These kinds of questions don’t have any answers yet, but I am always thinking about them.

References

Fodden, S. “The Lawyer Does Make A Difference” Slaw. 5 March 2012. http://www.slaw.ca/2012/03/05/the-lawyer-does-make-a-difference/

Curto, A. “No Justice For All – how our civil justice system is failing Americans” Fox News. 10 August 2012. https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/no-justice-for-all-how-our-civil-justice-system-is-failing-americans

Police interrogation is a necessary process in which a person is questioned and interviewed. The goal of interrogation is to seek and acquire information from the respondent, that will help to determine whether a person is innocent or guilty. When it comes to interrogations, a problem arises when bias and error occur during a police investigation. As discussed in our text, at times a suspect is already determined by police to be guilty based on valid evidence, however at times the suspect is determined guilty by nothing more than a presentiment (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012).

Furthermore, the pressure of the interrogation may be harsh enough, where people make false confessions and/or come to believe that they are guilty when they are not. As a result, social psychologist play a big role in helping to improve the effectiveness of police interview procedures. As a social psychologist, their goal is to find ethical ways to interview and achieve a confession. According to Jacobson from Scientific American, it is important to establish rapport which will help to develop cooperation. By being empathetic, one may choose to open up more and relay critical information (2015). Another accepting interview technique is the cognitive interview, where open-ended questions and non leading questions are asked, using planned silence. This technique also helps to build rapport, convey good listening skills, and gather more accurate information from the interviewee (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, 2012).

Social psychologists are providing the justice system with effective ways to interview suspects in a less harsh manner, which can help to increase trust and acquire credible information in order to rightfully accuse. It is important to conduct an interrogation ethically and give suspects the right to be “innocent until proven guilty.”

References:

Jacobson, R. (2015 May 1). How to extract a confession ethically. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-extract-a-confession-ethically/

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.

A study by Obrien and Gross (2009) shows that 4.1 percent of defendants who are sentenced to death in the United States are later shown to be innocent.  This adds up to 1 in 25 individuals.  That number is shocking!  This does not account for other types of criminal cases. Though well-documented, death sentences do not make up a majority of criminal cases (The staggering number of wrongful convictions, 2015).

Weiner, Arnott, Winter, & Redmond (2006) noted that particular types of cases seem to return a guilty verdict.  This is known as generic prejudice.  Murder and sexual abuse cases are particularly prone.  Jury selection leads to people more likely than the average juror to convict, based on the nature of the crime.  This often leads to jurors ignoring the facts of the case and making decisions based on emotion.

In misdemeanor courts, almost everyone pleads guilty.  Individuals are brought before a judge and given special offers, only good for one day if they accept the guilty charge.  Individuals that choose not to accept the deal, may end up waiting for months or years for trial.  This does not seem fair.  Individuals that cannot afford bail are even more likely to accept plea deals because they would spend the time waiting for trial in a jail cell, rather than at home.  It’s shockingly easy to see how conviction rates tend to be biased against lower socioeconomic groups.

Research has been conducted into improving police interrogation techniques, juror selection, confessions and lineups.  Improvements are slowly being made, however, it is not enough.  How can we improve the rate of wrongful convictions? Too many innocent people are sitting in jail cells because they cannot afford representation that is willing to fight for them.  Bad lawyers, lazy science, unreliable testimony and government pressure are just a few of the problems plaguing the criminal justice system (Grisham, 2018).

References:

John Grisham: Eight reasons for America’s shameful number of wrongful convictions. (2018, March 11). Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-grisham-wrongful-convictions-20180311-story.html

Obrien, B., Hu, C., & Gross, S. R. (2009). Estimating the Probability of False Conviction for Criminal Defendants Who are Sentenced to Death. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1443582

The staggering number of wrongful convictions in America. (2015, July 24). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-cost-of-convicting-the-innocent/2015/07/24/260fc3a2-1aae-11e5-93b7-5eddc056ad8a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ba4e25573c1a

Weiner, R.L., Arnott, L., Winter, R.J. & Redmond, B.F. (2006). Generic Prejudice and the Law: Sexual Assault and Homicide. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 28, 145-155.

 “Some of us are born rebellious. Like Jean Genet or Arthur Rimbaud,
I roam these mean streets like a villain, a vagabond, an outcast,
scavenging for the scraps that may perchance
plummet off humanity’s dirty plates,
though often sometimes taking a cab to a restaurant
is more convenient.” —Patti Smith

The Greatest Asset Of Your Team Probably Isn’t In Your Team

Individuals who work well in a team, whether to complete a task or to solve a problem, may not be able to actually come to the best solution or completion. Why is that? Of course, there’s groupthink and all the complications that come along with working within a group—miscommunications, personality clashes, egocentrism. But even these aren’t the greatest hurdle to a team. It’s that they may be missing their most valuable tool for arriving at the best solution: the person who never joined them.

The process for effective problem solving within a group isn’t much different than the process used in applying interventions in social psychology. They are both aimed at solving a perceived problem. However, Dewey (1958) places more emphasis on a very key step: brainstorming, whereas applied social psychology goes straight from identifying the problem to determining what solution to implement (Oskamp & Schultz, 1997). Considering that the purpose of the process is presumably to come up with the most successful solution, it would stand to reason that, to do that, all options must be considered. In the brainstorming step, it would be crucial, then, to have people participating who would not only offer up the most common and tried solutions, but would consider and propose solutions beyond these—to offer creativeideas.

It benefits the group, and ultimately those who are affected by the group’s actions, to place no limits on the brainstorming step in the problem-finding process. Or, to paraphrase a common mantra of authors, “Write drunk, edit sober” (Vries, 2015). In this step, no idea should be excluded or judged. The purpose is to gather up every possible solution, both the obvious and the far-fetched, purposely reserving evaluation for another time. But what if brainstorming was limited even before this process began? What if the most creative ideas lie in the minds operating outside the group?

Individuals who are high in creativity would excel in offering up the most innovative solutions and plenty of them. But, wait, when the group was forming, how likely is it that the most creative available individuals opted to join? George and Feltz (1998) discovered that team members’ self-efficacy added to the collective efficacy of the team. That makes sense. But what if someone has such a high self-efficacy that they see no need to work within a team? Since there is a strong positive correlation of self-efficacy to creativity (Prabhu, Sutton, & Sauser 2008), that would leave the most creative individuals (and, therefore the most creative solutions) outside the resources of the team.

We know that one step in the process of team building is in the evolution of roles for the individual members (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). As the philosopher Alan Watts (n.d.) frames this, teams are making use of the most basic of biological processes—”the same basic structure that is fundamental to a living organism: delegation of authority.” In other words, no one individual can or should perform every role within a group; it is the diversity of abilities of the individuals in these roles which enable the greatest functioning of it (Morawetz, Kirilina, Baudewig, & Heekeren, 2014). If an individual as a special talent for generating a nearly-endless list of possible solutions, that individual likely isn’t great at evaluating those same solutions and determining which are most viable, and vice versa. But efficiency of the group requires both of these skills. While we all may be proficient in each of these steps, if only from the sheer necessity of facing problems daily, it’s more likely that we are stronger in one skill than in the other. And that is why working with others who have different strengths brings about the best solutions.

If an individual does not excel in performing within a group setting, it does not mean that they have nothing to offer the process. In fact, they may have the greatest resource to offer the group: their unique ideas. However, individuals high in creativity are often low in agreeableness (Sung & Choi, 2009). This one trait both aggravates their cohesiveness within groups and also affords them the socially-contrary ideas others may not consider, which may become invaluable to reaching a solution. It is important to remember, then, that the forming of a team or group which will hold the greatest ability to expand thinking, cultivate knowledge, and bring about real progress will be the group which considers perspectives from outside itself, expands conventional roles, and also incorporates individuals who may not initially appear to be cohesive to the group. It is important to recognize that “working well with others” is not the only characteristic to examine when forming groups and that doing so may exclude the very members who can best move the group forward to obtaining its goals.

_______________________________________

References

Brown, C. (2016, February 23). Diary: Patti Smith. Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 7, 2018, from https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2011/07/patti-smith-201107

Dewey, J. (1958). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

George, T.R., & Feltz, D.L. (1995). Motivation in sport from a collective efficacy perspective. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 26,98-116.

Morawetz, C., Kirilina, E., Baudewig, J., Heekeren, H.R. (2014) Relationship between Personality Traits and Brain Reward Responses when Playing on a Team. PLoS ONE 9(1): e87277. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0087277

Oskamp, S., & Schultz, P.W. (1997). Applied social psychology (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Prabhu, V., Sutton, C., & Sauser, W. (2008). Creativity and Certain Personality Traits: Understanding the Mediating Effect of Intrinsic Motivation. Creativity Research Journal, 20(1), 53-66. doi:10.1080/10400410701841955

Sung, S. Y., & Choi, J. N. (2009). Do Big Five Personality Factors Affect Individual Creativity? the Moderating Role of Extrinsic Motivation. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 37(7), 941-956. doi:10.2224/sbp.2009.37.7.941

Vries, P. D. (2015). Reuben, Reuben: A novel. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Watts, A. (n.d.). Just Trust the Universe. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/iHcxkmwBOJY Original lecture date and location unknown, c. 1960-70, California.

The success of an organization is largely based on the people whom they employ. Successful organizations have bright and skilled people who are motivated to be productive. Motivation is however subjective. It is based on individuals’ perceptions. If an employee perceives an unfair situation, how does that affect their motivation, and in turn, their performance? A closer look at the concept of Equity Theory may point us in the direction of an explanation of how an employee’s perception, affects their behavior in work organizations.

Equity theory is a concept in Industrial/Organizational Psychology that focuses on an individual’s perceptions of how equitably they are being treated in their work organization. The theory is based on the idea that people are motivated by the ratio of inputs and outputs they receive in comparison to others. (Muchinsky & Culbertson, 2015) In order to understand equity theory, there must be an understanding of its different components. First, there are inputs.  Inputs are considered the things an individual puts into their job. Inputs include time, effort, commitment, and a host of other variables. Next, we have outputs. Outputs, or outcomes, are the things that an individual gets out of their jobs. Outputs can include benefits, pay, bonuses, praise, and a host of other variables. Finally, we come to the comparison other. The comparison other is a person or a standard that an employee chooses with which to compare their input/output ratio. (Muchinsky & Culbertson, 2015) One key concept to remember regarding equity theory is that it is based on perception. That is, equity theory is based on inequity from the employee’s perspective, and in many cases, the inequity is not real.

Equity theory states that employees need a sense of equity in the workplace in order to maintain psychological balance. (Adams, 1965). When that sense of equity is lacking, dissonance arises within the employee. In an effort to quell the dissonance, the employee will either change their cognitions on their inputs or outputs, act to alter their inputs or outputs, or leave the situation altogether. The method chosen by the employee will be based on that particular employee’s evaluation of what actions might bring about what outcomes, which is also related to expectancy theory. Some employees simply attempt to reduce dissonance by thinking differently rather than by changing behavior. (Greenberg, 1989) An employee who feels they are being underpaid compared to their comparison other may tell themselves, “He/She has a master’s degree and I only have a bachelor’s degree, so he/she deserves to make more money than I do”. In this situation, the employee is able to fight dissonance, by creating a rationale about why the perceived inequity is fair. Other employees may make changes to their behavior. An employee who feels they are being treated inequitably may become absent more, steal from their organization, or may not give the same effort they were giving before. They are able to decrease dissonance by reducing their inputs to a level they perceive to be in line with the outputs they are receiving. This brings equity back into balance in the perception of the employee. Finally, an employee may just decide to leave the job, and seek a more equitable situation. While these are all possible outcomes, individual differences play a role in which method an employee will take to reduce feelings in inequity.

I recently had an experience with inequity in my work organization. In order to deal with the dissonance that I was feeling, I began to arrive at work late, and leave from work early. At first, this did ease the dissonance I was feeling. Eventually, the feeling of inequity began to come back as I began to recognize more and more inequitable things happening, from my perception. At that point, I began to look for other employment opportunities. Following the ideas from equity theory, I attempted to change my inputs in an effort to decrease the inequity I was feeling. After a while, I realized that wasn’t working, and I found another job.

How employees feel in an organization, goes a long way in their motivation to perform their jobs well. Perception of inequity, whether real or not, can have a detrimental impact on the operation of an organization. Employees who perceive inequitable treatment, find ways to decrease those perceptions, many times at the detriment of the organization. Things like missing work, stealing, and slacking, can all cost the organization time and resources. This makes it important to understand the concepts that makeup equity theory, and put mechanisms in place to create the perception of more equitable environments.

Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in social exchange, In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental and social psychology (pp. 276-299). New York: Academic Press.

Greenberg, J. (1989). Cognitive re-evaluation of outcomes in response to underpayment inequity. Academy of Management Journal, 32, 174-184.

Muchinsky, P. M., & Culbertson, S. S. (2016). Psychology applied to work®: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology (11th ed.). Summerfield: Hypergraphic Press.

An important factor that influences an individual’s behavior is values. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, values are defined as 1. The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. 2. Principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life. Values play an important role in shaping how organizations behave and how individuals experience organizational life. Many organizations establish and sponsor value sets that are designed to guide behavior within their organization. Organizational values help employees understand what behaviors are regarded as worthwhile and important within the organization. People generally feel more satisfied working in organizations in which their personal values match the values of the organization.

Using my own personal experience, I have been with my current employer for a little over eight years. At my organization, heavy emphasis is placed on six core values. These core values are:
1. Uncompromising Integrity. This is achieved by the adherence to the strict moral and ethical code of conduct without exception. This is important as the future of the company depends entirely on their reputation.
2. Collaborative Leadership. The company is committed to an organizational culture that inspires all team members to flourish in the achievement of value-driven goals and opportunities for continuous development.
3. Candid Communication. The company values diversity and trust in all aspects of the business. This is built through honesty and consideration in all forms of communication and at every level.
4. Disciplined Growth. The organizations’ vision is achieved through clear and consistent decision making and strategies that produce reliable results for the customers and shareholders.
5. Purposeful Innovation. The organization will always look for, find, and implement unique solutions that improve the business and reward stakeholders.
6. Entrepreneurial Spirit. At this organization, they embrace the drive, creativity, and open-mindedness of the associates. Employees are empowered in the organization to take ownership of business at all levels.

The most common leadership trait exhibited in my organization is transformational. Transformational leadership includes empowerment and dispersed leadership. These approaches can be found in the core values of the company. The vision, mission, and expectations are frequently communicated throughout the company at every level. The organization ensures that all associates understand and share in the same vision. As a result, the organization has proven successful.

A few years ago, my current employer acquired several smaller health insurance companies. They implemented the full integration of the company’s culture, management and business systems which helped achieve a record growth in sales and profits. With the success of the acquisition, they were able to ensure almost 600,000 members in the health insurance marketplace which was substantial to the year prior. These strategic decisions by the company’s leadership also allowed them to inherit a high-ranking Medicare product that is designed to ensure low-income seniors. The goal of the organization is to provide high quality, affordable health care to improve healthcare outcomes. Through this type of leadership, they have demonstrated the ability to execute on growth strategies with discipline and dexterity, while remaining committed to their purpose to transform the health of the community.

In my opinion, the leadership style exhibited by the organization is congruent with the organization’s values. In addition to managing the health care of the members, the organization also manages their economic, social and environmental impacts as well as the relationships in the workplace. Since the organization is striving to transform the health of the community, it is understood that the employees are an important asset. The continued growth and success of the company allow for advancement for the associates. The company is active in working and making a difference in the associate’s lives. At this organization, emphasis on social responsibility encompasses how the values and mission are intertwined in everyday business practices. The company conducts business with the objective of community investment, philanthropic work, staff development, and corporate governance in mind. This is demonstrated through community outreach, the various charitable foundations, and sustainability efforts.

References
Value | Definition of value in English by Oxford Dictionaries. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/value

Shockley-Zalabak, Pamela S. Fundamentals of Organizational Communication, 9/e. Pearson.

https://pingboard.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Does-Your-Organizational-Design-Reflect-Your-Brand-Values1.png

A Conceptual Model of Team Cohesion example can be explained in the seven stages of Sullivan’s (1993) Communication Training on a basketball court of a local town recreational league that my son plays. He plays recreational basketball on Saturday’s during the winter months. Now, at the first glance of my son, he’s small by stature, not one of the big, powerful typical players that you would imagine who play basketball. But, he’s an outgoing, personable kind of guy and holds his own.

Last year, as the first practice and games approached a cold November, Saturday morning his coach who is first rolling calling each of the boy’s name. And trying to figure out who has shown up so he then can go over ways to best strategize moves for the current basketball game that is about to start in 20 minutes. This, of course, can be challenging in Effective Listening for all the boys. As the coach scans and looks at all the boys to explain what he wants them to do,  he is also looking at them respectively to see who is paying attention and who is not. I can see or it seems, he’s also sizing them up and curious to see what kind of talent each one may have or not have on his new team.  Mind you, this is recreational for elementary boys to play ball on Saturday’s.  As he looks over at my son, who has already introduced himself as well as pestered the coach, “can he go out first?”  As described with the Self-Assessment, the coach already has information on most of the kids who are on his team. So, the coach knows that my son is a player that’s not the best player on his team but not the worst player. Again, the coach looks at this kid who has these petite legs, scrawny body and  looks down at him and gives him a humorous look and says, ok, you can go in first.” I like the coach already, as I can tell, he not only has patients on this Saturday morning but, he also listens to the kids and seems fair.  A saving grace for the coach is that most coaches have a roster that they will follow to make it a fair process for all the kids to play.

As the players have positioned themselves and lined up against the other team. Each coach has positioned each of their boys against other boys from the opposite team by size to guard each other. As this process ends, the boys take their position, and the game begins. The ball is finally being dribbled back and forth along the court and the boys are running with such force.  My son,  who has been identified in the past, as a problem in his size at first glance and not the best player, some coaches and his teammates can make a judgment of  “he’s not going to be a good player.” At the game continues on, he finally gets the ball, swipes the ball from his opponent and amazes his coach and other players that he has, in fact, proved his own self-disclosure of his representation of his ability and hard work. Not only did he come somehow to sneak and fake out his opponent, but he also swiped the ball out of the kid’s hand and hustles down the court dribbling the ball and at the last minutes, he passes the ball to a teammate as he was open and he made the shot.

As the coach was apprehension at first,   regarding the current season, my son, showed that yes, he may be small but he’s certainly a hard-working and can hold his own within the game.  He’s earned a nickname of “scruffy” as he certainly gets the ball when he needs to, will share the ball when requested and had made a few shots from time to time.  His teammates have accepted the norm of my son’s size as not a hinder but actually, a great advantage, as he’s fast and quick on the court and he does not tire out.

Even though he may not be the best player on the team, as he has he self-evaluated himself and will tell you right up front that yes, he’s small but I can prove myself and work hard.  As the progression of the season continued to rally on, my son and the other boys all had improved their ability to play better ball on the court.  Because of their teamwork, these boys actually went to the championship.  Who knew that recreational ball had a playoff but they do.  Unfortunately, the team lost but he loved every minute of his playing time and he can’t wait to play this year.

References:

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

Remember when the Challenger exploded? Not many of us do, but for our parents’ generation, it was similar to 9/11.  What if I told you that the challenger explosion could have been preventable had scientists been using applied social psychology theories?  Prior to launch, a group of engineers and management met to discuss data.  This was a group of similarly aged men, all working for the same organization with the same goal.  These men had to remain colleagues after the launch and were therefore highly motivated to maintain cohesiveness.  This group of researchers was isolated from the outside world and from outside assistance.  Many of these missions were kept at a high clearance level and only those that needed to know, were allowed to know (Schwartz and Wald, 2003).

Groupthink is a type of thinking that focuses more on maintaining a group cohesiveness and relationships rather than focusing on the facts of a situation.  This happens frequently in organizations, especially with the rise in the use of teams (Groupthink, n.d.).  Groupthink is also more likely to occur when a group is already highly cohesive.  A group that is highly tight-knit and homogenous can easily become consumed with maintaining solidarity.  Having a highly cohesive group can also create the illusion of unanimity, even when decisions are not unanimous.  Groupthink is more likely to occur when the group is isolated from outside groups.  This can foster stereotypes about other groups.  Teams built within organizations often fall into this category. Finally, a lack of methodical procedures and appraisal methods can also lead to groupthink.

The group of scientists involved with the Challenger may have opened their discussion with the acknowledgement that most of their data was inconclusive, however, they were still under the opinion that the O Rings would not perform best in low temperatures.  This gives the impression that the methods of research and data collection were not controlled or methodical enough to be reliable and convincing to other members of the group.  This lack of data and evidence put additional pressure on the group members that may have disagreed with maintaining the launch date and time.  Instead of being able to simply give data and explain why it supported their decision, they had to argue and use opinion and subjectivity.  The most potent social condition involved with the Challenger launch discussion was the high-stress situation with little hope for finding an agreeable alternative.  The engineers suggested postponing launch date until temperatures were favorable, however, this would affect the other conditions of the launch (Schwartz and Wald, 2003).

The Henningsen, Henningsen, Eden, & Cruz (2006) study argued that past research was skewed by an illusory correlation due to retrospective sensemaking after individuals were made aware of a poor decision.  Does it seem possible that scientists were able to easily identify Groupthink in regards to the Challenger, after learning that it was a poor decision? What are some ways we could learn from our mistakes and avoid a catastrophe like this again?  Are modern organizations meant to have the same fate as the Challenger?

References:

Groupthink. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/groupthink

Henningsen, D. D., Henningsen, M. L. M., Eden, J., & Cruz, M. G. (2006). Examining the symptoms of groupthink and retrospective sensemaking.Small Group Research, 37(1), 36-64. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1177/1046496405281772

Schwartz, J. and Wald, M.L. (2003, March 09). The Nation: NASA’s Curse?; ‘Groupthink’ Is 30 Years Old, And Still Going Strong. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/09/weekinreview/the-nation-nasa-s-curse-groupthink-is-30-years-old-and-still-going-strong.html

As a millennial, I always find it interesting when people have a negative outlook towards this generation. There are many differences between the generations of baby-boomers, generation X, and millennial’s. Most of our older counterparts are confused by us and can’t understand where our motivation is coming from. In fact, many of them think that we lack motivation. Personally, and speaking for my fellow millennial’s, I would argue that we out motivate and work our older counterparts, they just can’t relate to us.

From my personal experience and what I observe from other millennial’s is that we are inspired and motivated by social issues and technology. We want to advance technology and implement social changes by increasing equality. Millennial’s feel this way not only because it is important to us, but because millennial’s use technology more than our older counterparts and see the good that can come from advancements in technology that filters into other sectors of live such as social issues.

So why do people have a problem with millennial’s in the workplace? They shouldn’t. Technology is only going to advance. It is not going to be going backwards. Millennial’s have proven that not only are we the brains behind this advancement, but also are the most adaptable to technological changes in the workplace. Because millennial’s are so adaptable to these changes, it saves companies time and money when they make those implementations. Being adaptable is one of the most important traits a worker can have. Teamwork is also increasing in the workplace. Millennial’s know how to work together as a team even if it is from a distance. Most millennial’s are successful in taking online classes and completing group projects from a distance with people who are geographically spread out. This translates into the workplace because of the increase in team work needed for larger or global tasks. Millennial’s are some of the hardest working, most adaptable and pushing for change people out there and companies would be lucky to have us!

References

Smith, A. “From Texting to Tweeting: Tech-Savvy Millennials Changing the Way We Work” Buissness.com. 6 June 2016. Taken from https://www.business.com/articles/tech-savvy-millennials-at-work/

Let’s face it, many older generations feel that millennials in the workplace, or just in plain old life, are heavily and possibly negatively influencing how society works nowadays. And as a millennial, I do believe that these different aspects are indeed changing the way we work, view and expand our world. Although many see millennials as self-centered, unmotivated, disrespectful and disloyal, much evidence is shown that we actually work very well in teams and are motivated to have an impact on our organizations. We favor open and frequent communication with our supervisors and we are at ease with communication technologies (Myers, Sadaghiani, 2010).

A major example given between the difference in dynamic between senior workers and millennials is that more senior workers believe that millennial newcomers should have to “pay their dues” as they did when they were young workers (Martson, 2007). Careers play a significant role in Boomer’s lives, where working 55-60-hour weeks are pertinent and expected, whereas in millennial and Generation X workers claim that work is a less significant part of their personal identities but is instrumental to supporting the lifestyle they desire (Martson, 2007). This difference in views create perceptual biases in the workplace, especially amongst different age groups. For example, a boomer employee could instantly turn to faulty judgements based on their preconceived notions of an individual who falls in the millennial age. Because of their difference on workplace views, this bias could result in selective perception, where a millennial employee could stand out based on schemas established. This could also result in a halo effect, where an older employer could draw a general impression of an individual based on just one characteristic (Nisbett &Wilson, 1977).

But, even though millennials focus more on interpersonal relationships over workplace, we seem to be doing something right. Millennials tend to have close relationships with coworkers, along with establishing a relationship with supervisors that result in frequent feedback and open communication (Society for Human Resource Management, 2009). Millennials tend to work on teams, in part because they perceive group-based work to be more fun, but also because they like to avoid risk (Alsop, 2008). With primarily millennial aged companies, communication tends to be more positive, more affirming, and more encouraging (Deloitte, 2009). Because of this new open, team-based direction of work, diversity amongst employees is extremely emphasized by millennials. 47% of millennials consider a diverse and inclusive workplace as an important criterion in their job searches (Kochlar, 2017).

Although many older generations believe that millennials are the doom of the workplace, each modern generation has always arrived in the workplace with its own unique set of qualities (Noble and Shewe, 2003). Millennials may not follow the rules that have been laid out by previous predecessors, nor do they share the same exact values as they do, but many have to now admit just how much millennials bring to the table. Relying more on open communication and interpersonal relationships, along with bringing in more diversity, has helped companies thrive in different and unique ways. Building and organizational socialization seem to come easy to millennials, and millennial stances and behaviors can be viewed by organizations as opportunities rather than obstacles. They key for coworkers from older generations – especially those in positions of formal and informal power in organizations – will be interacting with millennials with a desire to understand, rather than with the aim of criticizing how millennials are different. (Myers & Sadaghiani, 2010).

References:

Myers, K. K., & Sadaghiani, K. (2010). Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials’ Organizational Relationships and Performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(2), 225-238. doi:10.1007/s10869-010-9172-7

Marston, C. (2009). Myths about Millennials: Understand the myths to retain Millennials. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementtips/a/millennial_myth.htm

Nisbett, R. E., & Cohen, D. (1996). Culture of honor. Boulder, CO: Westview Press

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2009). The multigenerational workforce: Opportunity for competitive success. Retrieved July 26, 2009, from http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Documents/09-0027_RQ_March_2009_FINAL_noad.pdf

Alsop R. The trophy kids group up: How the Millennial generation is shaping up the workplace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2008.

Kochhar, S. (2018, February 16). Nearly Half of American Millennials Say a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace is an Important Factor in a Job Search. Retrieved from https://instituteforpr.org/nearly-half-american-millennials-say-diverse-inclusive-workplace-important-factor-job-search/

Noble SM, Schewe CD. Cohort segmentation: An exploration of its validity. Journal of Business Research. 2003;56:979–987. doi: 10.1016/S0148-2963(02)00268-0.

Sexism does not always have to be hostile in order to have a detrimental effect. As explained by Peter Glick and Susan Fiske sexism refers to any bias against an individual or a group of individuals based on their sex. They proposed that sexism is expressed in three different ways: hostile sexism, benevolent sexism and ambivalent sexism.

Hostile sexism is the easiest to identify, benevolent and ambivalent sexism are harder to notice but can be equally as damaging to a woman’s sense of self worth. I will now share with you an experience I had that can serve as an example for benevolent sexism.

Tired of working in retail I had decided to look for a new job that was more in line with what I wanted to do with my life. I needed a part time position as I was going to school full time and I decided to apply for a front desk/admin position working for a small team of psychologists who specialized in mood disorders. I submitted my resume and was ecstatic when I received a call back for an interview. I had previous office/ admin experience, I was a highly motivated student pursuing a degree in psychology, and I have always had a strong work ethic resulting in my also having good work references. I felt very confident during my interview and afterwards in my excitement I shared my news with friends and family. I received good advice and words of encouragement from most but I was very surprised when not just one, but rather three different men whom I consider myself to be close to responded by telling me not to worry because I was pretty and sweet and they would definitely want me to be their front office representative. I laughed and brushed their comments off but internally I felt annoyed and surprised. I do not think that my grandfather nor my two male friends meant to devalue me with their comments but that is what they did. Instead of commenting on my intelligence, work ethic, experience, or my communication skills they instead complimented me on my appearance and on my perceived disposition. Yes I can be a very sweet person but that is by choice and it is definitely not what I consider to be my defining personality trait. What these men did, likely unintentionally, was display towards me an attitude of benevolent sexism. Benevolent sexism is sexism that involves the attribution of typically positive traits or qualities, that might sound positive, but which are derived from stereotypes that see women in limited ways and often stem from a male-centered perspective (Schneider 2012). Stereotypes are beliefs about the characteristics, attributes, and behaviors of members of certain groups (Schneider 2012). Although their comments might not have been intended as negative or hostile, they were nonetheless sexist as it emphasized traditional stereotypic notions of women and trivialized the fact that competence had gotten me that far in the interview process rather than my beauty or “sweetness.” I ended up not getting the job but eventually did find a job in the psychology field accomplishing my goal of getting my foot in the door of my future career. But I believe the reason for my not getting the job had more to do with my qualifications and less to do with how I look.

I think an interesting effect this experience had on me is that it made me temporarily uncomfortable with my “sweetness” and with my physical body. It made me think how other people valued me. If they just saw me as a woman in a pleasing body or if they saw me as an intelligent motivated human being with a lot to offer. It made me think about how we often tell little girls how pretty they are and how we tend to tell little boys things like “your so smart and strong.” Benevolent sexism, although less harsh and threatening in presentation than hostile sexism, is equally as damaging to women as it can negatively impact a woman’s internal thought process, affecting her beliefs in her own competency and subsequently stunting her ability to perform well and rise above.

References

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

Power in the workplace can have both positive and negative effects. A person of power has the ability to influence a great amount of people, which can be a positive thing, if the person of power is a good leader. However, what if this superior uses their authority as a way for personal gain only and looks down on their subordinates? How does this affect the workplace environment? Power is not only in the hands of the superior, but in the hands of our co-workers as well. Our work is where we spend the majority of our days, therefore it is important that we recognize issues such as bullying in the workplace and work on interventions to help those experiencing it. As mentioned in our commentary notes, a powerholder may view themselves as special or better than others, as seen as a reflection of the fundamental attribution error. This can cause one to not consider others’ inputs or opinions and can be seen as a situation of control (Nelson, 2018).

Bullying in the workplace may be seen as a “silent epidemic”, as it is not often discussed. According to Benedict Carey, a reporter for The New York Times “subordinates know the high cost of going around a boss, even if it simply to file a complaint with the human resource department” (2004). They are concerned with being seen as someone who goes behind another person’s back or seen as a complainer or even an attention seeker. Another big issue is that good jobs are very hard to come by and people may tend to sit back and let things happen to them in fear that they may lose their job.

As a result, it is important to look at ways to help combat bullying in the workplace. One way to do so is to promote positive power in the workplace through developing relationships with employees, creating an open door policy, and teaching teamwork building exercises. These things can help to encourage open communication, feedback and discussions.

Benedict, C. (2004 June 22). Fear in the workplace: The bullying boss. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/22/health/fear-in-the-workplace-the-bullying-boss.html

Nelson, A. (2018). Penn State World Campus. PSYCH 424 Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 7: Organizational Life AND Teams. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1942493/modules/items/25002516

In one of my previous blog posts, I discussed what outward factors motivate people to succeed. In this post, I’d like to address the inward biological and psychological factors that also have influence in the workplace, academia and at home. These factors are all inclusive, however, since they revolve around Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, which states that human beings have basic needs that must be met, and in turn, influence behavior. 

I first came to understand Maslow’s theory when I was studying for my Associate’s in child development. At a very basic level, this theory upholds that children are not able to complete tasks without their basic, physiological needs being met: breathing, eating, drinking water, sleeping and other homeostatic behavior. This is a major contributor to temper tantrums that are seemingly out of the blue (important: this is assuming there are no other disorders diagnosed or symptoms being displayed). The child starts crying and refuses to finish homework. The parent doesn’t realize the child hasn’t eaten anything since lunch at school 5 hours ago and is probably getting (what we have come to deem in the 21st century) “hangry.” Without the basic physiological need of hunger satisfaction being met, other tasks are near impossible to address. 

Similarly, I have come to find that adults face these issues on a more broad scale. I know that for me, personally, once I pass that threshold of slightly hungry to I’m starving, nothing gets accomplished until I have eaten. So how does this play into organizational psychology and motivational drive? Going up Maslow’s hierarchy, or pyramid if you will, there are needs and desires that build on the previous and influence the next. When one feels that their physiological needs are being met, they can begin to approach the next need up the pyramid, which is safety (including security of body, employment, resources, health and much more). Fiscal responsibility is a staple of adulthood (though questionable how many people actually follow through) and, in my opinion, there is nothing that motivates someone more than feeding themself, affording rent and paying other important bills necessary to function in our society. 

Taking all of these things into consideration, this hierarchy is designed to keep the average individual constantly striving toward self-actualization, which is at the top of the pyramid. Though many people do not reach that point in their lifetime, the goal is still there, nevertheless. An article from the International Journal of Business and Management Invention (Jerome, 2013) discusses the use of Maslow’s theory within the cultural framework of organizations where the employers take the necessary steps to ensure that their employees are actively working toward self-actualization. Typically, this is where human resource departments intervene to assure that the cultural framework is running smoothly and that needs are being met. “When employees discover that their organization cares so much about their developmental status, employees will offer their best to the service of the organization” (2013). That personal recognition from employer to employee as an individual working toward personal success, high self-esteem and self-actualization is an immense motivator to strive for success. One will actually work to attain self-actualization by building upon each previous accomplishment in all aspects of one’s life, including homeostasis, safety, love and esteem. 

Source:

Jerome, N. (2013, March). Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource and employee’s performance. Retrieved October 1, 2018, from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b0bc/c8ca45193eaf700350a8ac2ddfc09a093be8.pdf

We live in a world with over 7 billion people, and no two people are exactly the same. Every individual has something unique about themselves, that separates or distinguishes them from everyone else. Diversity, in terms of people, is an expression of the similarities and differences between them. It includes differences in race, sex, religion, perspective, etc. Whether through work, school, or any other social activity, we are bound to come across people who are different from us. In many of these settings, we must work, in groups, with these same people. Diversity inevitably plays a role in how effective, or ineffective these groups will be in communicating and problem-solving.

There are a lot of positive benefits to having diversity amongst group members. First, there is the concept of functional diversity. This refers to the idea that each person in a group brings different strengths and talents. (Schneider et. al, 2012) A good basketball team consists of a number of players with diverse skills. Each player is unique in that they have their own playing style, but they each also bring something unique to the group process. Taller players rebound and block shots, smaller players handle the ball and make plays. Each player contributes something to the team.

Diversity also brings about fresh ideas and new perspectives. Diverse people, come with a variety of skills, and experiences. They have a differing perspective on ideas and concepts, that may provide a fresh take on an issue or problem. This breeds creativity and innovation in the group. Differing perspectives can challenge the current norms, effectively creating change. I remember a workgroup I was a part of that consisted of 4 people. We were working to find a solution to a problem, and could not figure out what to do. Another of our co-workers joined us in a subsequent meeting and provided us with an idea that not only had we not thought of, but that actually solved our problem. Having that additional perspective allowed us to see a solution that we had never imagined.

For all of the good that diversity brings to groups, it can also bring some negative effects as well. Communication is one of the most important aspects of any group. It is how information is shared among group members. Diversity can have a tremendous effect on interpersonal communications between people. Different people have different styles of communication. Power distance, for example, can play a role in how effective communication is amongst group members. I recently worked with someone who was of high power distance. She had somewhat of an authoritarian tone when she spoke. Being that she was not a manager, and simply a peer, a lot of other employees took exception to her way of communicating. These types of breakdowns in communication do more bad to the group than good.

Another negative aspect that can arise from diversity is too many opinions and ideas. Groups are best when there are enough people to accomplish the group’s tasks and goals, but also everyone in the group is aware of and interacting with all other group members. When there are too many people, and therefore too many opinions, it can be difficult to come to a consensus, as people will have a hard time agreeing. (Schneider et. al, 2012)

So now that we have looked at the good and the bad concerning diversity in groups, the question becomes, is diversity good or bad for groups. Overall, in the right circumstances, diversity in groups will generally lead to more positive outcomes than negatives ones. While diversity can create some problems in groups that if left unchecked, can undermine the whole group process, it provides many more incentives that help the efficient operation of groups.

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