Assignment: Societal Psychology

Assignment: Societal Psychology

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Think of a time when you were part of a group that was about to engage in some action, or reach some decision, that you thought was a bad idea. (If you can’t think of a good example from your own life, make something up). Using terms, concepts, principles and theories from the textbook and/or lecture, discuss (a) why / how the group might have reached this point, and (b) what you can or should do to change their planned course of action.

Terms: Social facilitation, Social loafing, Behavioral Contagion, Group polarization, Groupthink.

Again, your goal in this assignment is to use, clearly apply, and demonstrate you understand the terms, concepts, and principles we’ve discussed in class, or appear in the textbook. Be sure to identify each term, concept or principle you are using by name. To help both yourself and the TA see how many terms/concepts/principles etc. you are using, please place each term you use in bold font, only the first time you use it.  Note, however, that it is not enough to simply name the terms/concepts/principles; you must also clearly explain or illustrate how they apply. There are many concepts that you might apply; try to use as many as you can, while still leaving enough room to clearly demonstrate that you understand each one. Feel free to use any material from throughout the course that seems relevant.

This assignment should take approximately 2 pages; do not exceed 3 pages.  Quality of writing is important.

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Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others.^[1] In this definition, scientific refers to the empirical investigation using the scientific method. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors refer to psychological variables that can be measured in humans. The statement that others’ presence may be imagined or implied suggests that humans are malleable to social influences even when alone, such as when watching videos, sitting on the toilet, or quietly appreciating art. In such situations, people can be influenced to follow internalized cultural norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the interaction of mental states and social situations.

Social psychologists examine factors that cause behaviors to unfold in a given way in the presence of others. They study conditions under which certain behavior, actions, and feelings occur. Social psychology is concerned with the way these feelings, thoughts, beliefs, intentions, and goals are cognitively constructed and how these mental representations, in turn, influence our interactions with others.

Social psychology traditionally bridged the gap between psychology and sociology. During the years immediately following World War IIthere was frequent collaboration between psychologists and sociologists.^[2] The two disciplines, however, have become increasingly specialized and isolated from each other in recent years, with sociologists focusing on “macro variables” (e.g., social structure) to a much greater extent than psychologists.^{[citation needed]} Nevertheless, sociological approaches to psychology remain an important counterpart to psychological research in this area.

In addition to the split between psychology and soc