Blog 13

In social psychology the main goal is to create an environment and circumstances that will benefit people in their daily lives. Whether that means their place of work, being online, or being in school. Social psychology however can also take a role in politics....

Lesson 12 Blog

Relationship psychology delves into the intricate dynamics that govern human connections, from friendships to romantic partnerships. At its core, it explores the underlying mechanisms that influence how individuals perceive, interact, and relate to one another. One...

Personality Traits and Relationships

We all have the people or groups in our lives that we “mesh” with, what I mean by that is we have individuals that we enjoy hanging out with because they have similar likes or interests as we do. Researchers that study such interactions between groups are called...

Connections and Cognition

Understanding Social Cognition Social cognition involves how we perceive, analyze, and interpret information about the social world. It’s about understanding others, social interactions, and forming judgments. Simplifying the comprehensive insights of Fiske and...

The “optimistic” perspective

When looking into articles and news I came across this article stating that excessive optimism is associated with lower cognitive skills. “Low cognitive ability leads to more self-flattering biases”, someone with optimism will most likely have a deluded...

The Intricacies of Optimism and Pessimism

In the intricate tapestry of human emotions and thought patterns, optimism and pessimism stand as fundamental threads, each weaving its unique pattern into the fabric of our lives. Yet, as we navigate the complexities of these constructs, it becomes apparent that...

A Cynical Optimist

Navigating the waters of life can be challenging. There are ebbs and flows of many tides and change remains the only constant. So, when reflecting on optimism and pessimism, I wondered if this is an innate attribute, such that we are either a pessimist or an optimist....

Social cognition is the process of understanding how thoughts, feelings, and behavior are influenced by others. Human cognition is designed for “hot,” action-oriented cognition, which is favored by natural selection. This hot cognition plays out in...

Can We Change How We See the World by Listening?

I won’t lie, while I pondered what topic I could possibly connect with this week’s lesson I kept drawing a blank. Then, as I went to lay down and just clear my mind, it hit me. I could not stop singing Paramore’s (2007) “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”. Music...

Why We’re Drawn to People Who Are Similar to Us

Why We’re Drawn to People Who Are Similar to Us Alessandra DeVito Have you ever noticed how you usually lean towards people who have similar interests, or physical appearances? This is known as the Similar-to-Me Effect, and has been widely studied in psychology....

Community Connections: The Pros and Cons

Were you aware that communities have the power to shape our social and mental well-being? Being a part of a community can provide individuals a sense of belonging and support. However, being a part of a community where there is lack of diversity and inclusion,...

Online Communities Benefits and Downfalls

Online communities can be a very wonderful thing. They can form connectivity. Bringing people together to with shared interest. It also allows family and friends to communicate. You are able to see how they are doing or speak to one another. Online communities create...

Socialization is the process by which personality is formed through social influences. Early research used case studies of individuals and societies, while later statistical comparisons focused on differences in child-rearing methods. Experimental methods have studied...

Well-being that COVID-19 had on Communities

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted various communities forcing most of us to work from home. Some people may have had zero community engagement during this time making life a bit more difficult, whereas others were heavily involved in online communities to do the job and...

The Keyboard Warriors Are Coming to Get You!

People can turn into warriors online, saying things they’d probably never say face to face. Researchers looked into three main culprits: anonymity (nobody knows who you are), invisibility (nobody can see you), and lack of eye-contact (you don’t have to look...

Mental Health and Online Communities

Online communities have been relevant since the early 2000’s. The first social media platform was MySpace created in 2003. For a few years my space was extremely popular until around 2008 when Facebook became the more popular social network. For social psychologists...

Discrimination in a Nation Divided

Stereotyping, discrimination, and applied social psychology intertwine in a complex dance of societal perceptions and behaviors. Stereotyping, the cognitive shortcut that paints individuals with broad brushstrokes based on their group affiliations, often sets the...

The Stigmatization of Autism

The textbook defines stigmatization as “labeling someone as being deviant, different, or flawed in some way” (Gruman 2016, 335). Stigma involves ignorance, prejudice, and discrimination, and unfortunately, many Autistic people are labeled in exactly the...

Lesson 11 Blog

Social Identity Theory: Social identity theory, a key concept in social psychology, explains how individuals derive their sense of identity and belonging from group memberships. In the context of sense of community, psychology suggests that people tend to form...

Lesson 10 Blog

Cognitive Development: Education systems significantly influence cognitive development by providing structured learning experiences that stimulate critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and intellectual growth. Exposure to diverse subjects, engaging learning...

Social Inequality from Discrimination     

Social Inequality from Discrimination Alessandra DeVito   Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination are a trifecta that perpetuates social inequality and injustice, yet their distinctions are often blurred. Understanding each component is pivotal in dismantling...

The Advantages of Student-Led Learning

The education system is constantly evolving. An approach that stands out for its impacts on student growth is student-led learning. This approach, places the education on the learners themselves, encouraging self-guided practices. One of the most significant...

Behaviorism and Token Economy for Children with ADHD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopment disorder than is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. Symptoms of the disorder can include, but not limited to: difficulty focusing, hyperactivity, short attention span, irritability, and...

The Crucial Role of Intersectionality (Lesson 11)

The concept of intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 that is frequently discussed in women’s and gender studies, offers a lens through which we can examine and understand the multifaceted experiences of individuals at the crossroads of...

Fundamental Attribution Error

As humans we want to understand our own behaviors and more so the behaviors of others. Though it is natural to want to predict the behaviors of others and why people do the things that they do, we are not all mind readers or highly talented psychologists. When we try...

Lesson 9 Blog

Cell phones and media have undergone significant evolution over time, profoundly impacting human psychology and behavior. Initially, cell phones were bulky devices limited to voice calls and text messages. With technological advancements, they transformed into sleek...

Social Dynamics with Communication Technologies

Social Dynamics with Communication Technologies Alessandra DeVito   Technology today is a huge part of how people connect, communicate and interact with each other.  From having telephones, all the way to having social media, technology has grown tremendously....

Digital Devices and Our Brain

Our world is changing fast because of smartphones, tablets, and the internet. This change affects our brains and how we act, especially as we use these digital tools a lot. Research by Martin Korte shows that using touchscreens can actually change parts of our brain....

Social Media and Mental Health

Social media has been on the rise for decades as a way for people to connect to one another. In more recent years it has become a platform for people to share their lives with the entire world. Careers have been made out of this type of sharing and has created a new...

The Freshman Similar-To-Me Experiment

According to this week’s material, the similar-to-me effect essentially says that people like other people who seem similar to them. One finding that has come up, “over and over again is that people with similar personalities tend to get along because they think,...

Pros and Cons of Online Support Groups

Online support groups got their start back in the 1990’s. First commonly called forums or message boards. Today these types of resources are known as: blogs, online communities, online support groups, virtual group therapy, discussion boards, etc. They cover all kinds...

Should Entertainment Media Express Political Views?

At the Academy awards ceremony last Sunday, the host Jimmy Kimmel read and responded to a twit from the former president Trump. Some cheered him on, others expressed dismay that a non-political event such as Oscars is touching upon politics. The political parties in...

Impacts of Social Media

      Social media tends to have a stronger impact than most of us realize at times. If there’s difficulty in adults imagine the difficulty children have dealing with the adverse effects of social media.  There are some pros and cons of using social media among...

Negative Reactions To Media

Social media platforms have many positive aspects. They can connect people from all over the world. They can keep family and friends involved in our lives from near and far. Businesses can advertise. People can share their talents and teach others. It provides news...

Lesson 8 Blog

The legal system and social psychology intersect in various ways, especially concerning jury dynamics and decision-making processes. One significant aspect is the impact of jury size on verdicts. Research suggests that smaller juries might be more susceptible to...

Understanding Communication in a Digital Age

In today’s world, the biggest form of communication is media. The two have become more intertwined than ever. With the rise of social media, email, text messages, and the internet in general, we can connect with anyone across the globe with the touch of a...

Witness Identification Gone Wrong!

When a person witnesses a crime, they could be in fear, shock, and stress. All the emotions heightened. The person cannot mentally record what they are seeing. So many factors can come into play. Eye site, distance, obstruction, and more. A person’s perception...

US unjust System

The US criminal justice system is often touted as the best in the world, but is it really? For many people, especially those who are poor, marginalized, or oppressed, the system is anything but just. They face discrimination, violence, and abuse at every stage of the...

Is Eyewitness Testimony Trustworthy?

An account provided by individuals of an event they have personally observed, is referred to as eyewitness testimony in legal terminology. They might be asked to explain a robbery trial or a traffic accident that they witnessed, for instance. This covers information...

Metro Fare Jumping and Broken Windows

Comparing the crime reports between 2019 and 2023 one sees a significant increase in the number of aggravated assaults from 130 to 278, robbery – 354 to 381, and especially vehicle theft – 25 to 350 (Metro Transit Police Bus -Rail -Parking Lot -Metro...

The Death-qualifying Bias

In 2023, there were 2,331 people on death row. The National Academy of Sciences estimates 4.1% of those people – at least 95 people – are innocent. Ninety-five innocent people, wrongly convicted, waiting to be put to death by an archaic, outdated...

The Reid Technique

In investigative interviewing, police conduct interviews with suspects or witnesses to gather information on a case. When doing so, they use specific techniques to gain information and for suspects to gain a confession. A major method that is used is the reid...

Lesson 7 Blog

Organizational life is akin to a bustling ecosystem, where individuals come together to pursue common goals, navigate challenges, and achieve collective success. At its core, it’s a dynamic interplay of people, processes, and structures, all working in tandem to...

A New Era of Societal Norms

What do you think of when you read the work “automation”? Do you think about a tech assembly line manufacturing a car, or may you just think about a self driving car. Both of these are of course correct. With the availability of technology growing the...

The Dynamics of Cohesion

Team dynamics play a pivotal role in various settings, ranging from contrived experimental groups to natural teams like sports teams. Forsyth (1999) outlines key features of groups, including structured communication, interdependence, shared identity, and identifiable...
Escape Rooms need team cohesion for success!

Escape Rooms need team cohesion for success!

Escape rooms have become popular over the last few years. Many have either heard of them or played in an escape room themselves. An escape room is an adventurous game  that teams work together for time and completion. You can also compete against other teams.  The...

Effective Communication

The subject of social psychology of communication within a work group can be a class all by itself and I am lucky enough to take this class this semester in parallel with PSYCH 424 – CAS 100B, Effective Speech. What is only a chapter on our applied psychology...

Compliments to the Chef: Biting into Team Cohesion

While food may not be the first thing that comes to mind when looking at what makes a team successful, I’d like to present some reasoning behind the seasoning for your chewing pleasure. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered a plate of broccoli? No steak or...

Four Distinct Phases of Team Formation

Bruce Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development functions as a blueprint for how teams form and develop. It’s a fascinating way to understand all the highs and lows associated with working together. Here are the four phases that everybody can identify with: The...

To Be Part of a Team

In applied social psychology, there are many components to be part of a team. This includes group roles and group norms, which tie into Tuckman’s (1965) developmental stages of groups. The developmental stages are a “life cycle” that almost every...

Artificial Intelligence

Believe it or not, you’ve most likely used Artificial Intelligence (AI) at least once in your life, if not every day. Just think, face ID, Siri, Google Maps, and social media are all powered by AI technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that allows...

Lesson 6 Blog

Prejudice and discrimination are complex societal phenomena that have persisted throughout history, manifesting in various forms and affecting individuals and communities worldwide. Prejudice refers to preconceived beliefs or attitudes held about certain groups of...

Exceptionally Effective Contact Through Cyberspace

In 1954, Social psychologist Gordon Allport came up with his theory of Contact Hypothesis. He believed that prejudice, preconceptions, and the desire to discriminate would lessen if individuals with different social characteristics had the opportunity to get to know...

Embracing Diversity in a World of Uncertainty

In our evolving world, the significance of diversity and inclusion can’t be overstated. It’s the basis of different cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds that enrich the collective experience. Navigating this experience though, comes with its own challenges,...

Are Prejudice and Discrimination Unescapable?

Prejudice and discrimination are two intertwined phenomena deeply rooted in the fabric of human interactions, shaping our societal dynamics and individual behaviors. They can be impossible to avoid and are prevalent in daily interactions between people in everyday...
Stereotypes of Prejudice & Discrimination

Stereotypes of Prejudice & Discrimination

Everyone has heard of stereotypes. Stereotypes are a belief one has or an assumption about someone based on a person’s membership in a group and not taking into account a person’s individual characteristics. These assumptions can be positive or negative....

Sexism in the Sciences

Sexism is the bias against a group or individual due to their sex. This of course can both go ways: males being sexist towards women and women being sexist towards men. Throughout history sexism is often noticed and more recently noted. Although as a society we have...