...Social Psychology Psych/555 April 8, 2013 Dr. Anthony Social Psychology Human social behavior has been studied for the last 100 years, giving social scientists insight into the influence of thought on behavior. In this endeavor, scientists have also provided theories on the human need to obtain and maintain close attachments as well as the influence of human interaction. The development of social psychology as a discipline has provided insight into the precarious nature of human behavior and social interaction. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the conceptual foundations of social psychology. Within this analysis will be the definition of social psychology, an analysis of its four key characteristics, an explanation of the concept of situationism, and identification of the five core social motives and how these concepts affect the field of social psychology. Social Psychology Social psychology can be defined as the study of how an individual’s situations influence his or her behavior, emotions, thoughts, etc., with particular focus on how individuals perceive as well as affect on another (Myers, 2008). Furthermore, social psychology primarily focuses on social relations, social influence, and social thinking. According to Myers (2008), social relations refers to certain attributes such as aggression, helping others, prejudice, and attraction and intimacy. Social influence comprises factors such as pressure to conform, biology and culture, groups of people, and...
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...Theories of Personalities | Conscious | Unconscious | Biological | Social Influences | Similarities | Uniqueness | Freud: Psychoanalysis | Even though we are aware of our daily actions, we are still motivated with the actions of our unconscious and still be guided with the dream analysis. | He believed that everything from slips of the tongue to religious experiences is the result of a deep-rooted desire to satisfy sexual or aggressive desire and drives. | As Physician, he viewed the human personality from the heredity concept as he trained medical outputs. He believed that infantile fantasies and anxieties are also rooted in biology. | Even if he frequently speculated about the consequences of prehistoric social units of life and about the consequences of an individual’s early social experience. | Humanity’s evolutionary past gives to a great many similarities among people and individual. | Individual experiences also, especially those of early childhood, shaped people in a somewhat unique manner and account for many of the differences among personalities. | Adler: Individual Psychology | Adler explains that those thoughts are understood and regarded by the individual as helpful in striving for success. | He explained that it is a part of the goal in which is neither clearly formulated nor completely understood by the individual and he added that unconscious thoughts are those that are not helpful. | He regarded Self-centeredness with biological aspects as pathological health...
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...Social Influences on Behavior 1 Social Influence on Behavior Frances Sequoyah PSY/300 February 10, 2014 Trisha Ferre Social Influences on Behavior 2 Abstract From the moment humans are born, they are social beings because without another person feeding, giving them personal care and love, no human infant would survive. Even after humans become adults and are able to take care of themselves, they still need or choose to interact with other individuals since the majority of humans need companionship of some type. Whether it is interacting with people who are friends or someone they choose as a companion. The only people who prefer not to associate with others are the ones with anti-social disorders or other mental illnesses. The following article will examine the fundamental concept of human interactions from the perspective of social psychology. This includes examples how human behavior changes when subjected to different social situations and what specific behaviors were shown and the context in which they occurred. The examples used will provide analyses of possible precursors and the consequences of different behaviors and will identify phenomenon associated with the selected behavioral examples such as social facilitation and social loafing. Social Influences on Behavior ...
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...Social psychology studies elements of life situations. Social psychology dives deep into how people analysis and influence one another. Social psychology is a study concerning why a person thinks about, relates to, and influences others. Social psychology consists of the study of learning how people see themselves and others. Social psychology studies people’s beliefs, attitudes, thought process, and judgment making. Social psychology influences how genetic factors and society contribute to who people become, and how he or she interacts with each other. Social psychology researches how people influence people and how he or she are influenced by others. Social psychology examines the ways people cope, such as aggression, persuasion, empathy, and compassion (Crozier, 2000). Crozier, Ivan. (2000, August). Social Psychology. Social Studies of Science, 30(4). According to Fiske (2010), “People influence people.” Social psychology offers an understanding of how people can influence the behavior of other people. Social psychology tries to offer information how the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are changed by imagined or actual attendance of other people (Fiske, 2010). Social psychology is not only about the behavior of people, such as performing when asked. Social psychology also covers how a person may or may not be influenced by a group if the group goes against his or her best judgment (Fiske, 2010). An example of a group influencing a person to go against his or her...
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...Social Influences on Behavior Discovering the causes and effects of human behavior is a problem that has perplexed researchers for many years. The first step into trying to figure out human behavior is to explain what human behavior is and what it means. Humans are what we are in the world; this translates to mean that behavior is how a person acts or reacts to different situations that may occur in their lives. According to the Webster dictionary, behavior is defined as “the manner of conducting oneself or the way a person behaves or shows his/her actions.” When we think of behavior in psychology we can think of time honored nature versus nurture debate. The fundamental question in this issue is to what degree inborn biological processes do or environmental events determine human behavior. When we think of certain situations in which human behavior is changed we can think of the workplace. The first school experience is a major shaping event in a person’s behavioral patterns. This is where we as children start to interact with other children, and a new set of rules have to be followed. As we get older and transition to the socially dynamic high school environment we realize that there are going to be social problems that can arise, and certain human behavior that can come with the change of how we now have to act as people and as students. There are certain groups that most of us belonged to in high school, and we may realize that some of the people that we were friends...
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...Week 1 A Differentiate between social behavior and culture. Provide an example. To me there isn’t a big difference in social behavior and culture. Social behavior is behavior directed towards society, or taking place between members of the same species. An example of social behavior would be not cursing in public. Culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. One example of culture is All Souls’ Day where festivities are celebrated on November 1st and 2nd in Mexico. It is also celebrated in other countries but mostly Mexico. Although they are very similar they are not the same. How does culture influence human behavior? How does nature influence human behavior? Provide an example of each. Culture is prominent role in how we interact with people. The place where we’ve grown up is influencing our approach to others. Nonverbal communication aids in the influence of culture to human behavior. According to the culture we belong to, gestures, space distance from you to other people, and physical contact may vary a lot. One example are individuals from independent cultures, such as the United States, tend to value autonomy, uniqueness, freedom, and right to self-expression; whereas individuals from interdependent cultures, such as Japan, tend to prize social harmony, conformity, and adherence...
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...the other? Why and how do individuals behave in social settings and the importance of social interaction for individuals? These are some of the questions that come in mind when talking about social psychology. To get a better understand the field of social psychology this paper will focus on defining social psychology, the four key characteristics of social psychology, the concept of situationism and the role it plays in social psychology, and the five core social motives and their affect on the field of social psychology. Social Psychology Social psychology is defined as the “scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual in social situations” (Baron, Byrne & Suls, 1989 p. 6). The classic definition that dates back to Gordon Allport describes social psychology as an attempt to understand how individuals are influenced by the presence of other human beings. According to Fiske (2010) Social psychology is the scientific attempt to explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings, (p.2). Individuals have different reactions when exposed to social events and having to interact with other people. These changes in behavior, thoughts and feelings contribute to certain areas of the individuals’ personality as well as upbringing. Social psychologists study the influence of social interaction on human beings to try to understand why some individuals...
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...that run on gas. Even though recycling service is just as available as trash service, not everyone takes advantage of it. If people know the negative effects their behavior has on the environment, why isn’t everyone doing more to be proactive and conscience about their impact on the environment? Psychologist have developed many theories to explain why behaviors do not change and how behaviors can be influenced and changed. This paper seeks to examine human behaviors and how they can be changed to create better views of being environmentally conscience. ENVIRONMENTAL CUES Environmental “cues are elements in the environment that convey important information or trigger an affective reaction (Book).” In other words, cues are an action or occurrence that can affect and change human behavior. For example, in America street signs that are red typically indicate an action needs to stop or caution needs to be taken. When the traffic light is red, that is a cue for all traffic to stop in a certain direction. Environmental cues are an important part of human behavior. Cues make determining behavior easier. When sitting at a red light everyone knows that it is not their turn to drive. If the cue it not followed or ignored there can be negative impacts, like car accidents. Because cues have a significant impact on human behavior, when considering options to improve the...
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...Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior What will the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section test? The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section asks you to solve problems by combining your knowledge of foundational concepts with your scientific inquiry and reasoning skills. This section tests your understanding of the ways psychological, social, and biological factors influence perceptions and reactions to the world; behavior and behavior change; what people think about themselves and others; the cultural and social differences that influence well-being; and the relationships between social stratification, access to resources, and well-being. The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section emphasizes concepts that tomorrow’s doctors need to know in order to serve an increasingly diverse population and have a clear understanding of the impact of behavior on health. Further, it communicates the need for future physicians to be prepared to deal with the human and social issues of medicine. This section is designed to • • • • • test psychology, sociology, and biology concepts that provide a solid foundation for learning in medical school about the behavioral and sociocultural determinants of health; test concepts taught at many colleges and universities in first-semester psychology and sociology courses; test biology concepts that relate to mental processes and behavior that are...
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...Feist (2009), has no single definition but is a pattern of permanent traits and unique characteristics offering individuality, and consistency to an individual’s behavior. This research paper explores personality theory, and addresses the definition of personality, examines theoretical approaches, and analyzes factors that may influence an individual’s personality development. Definition of Personality Feist & Feist (2009), explain that personality stems from the Latin word persona, which references a theatrical mask Roman actors in Greek dramas wore. These masks or personas were wore as a projection of a role or replicate a different character. The definition of personality today is quite different than that of Roman and Greek times and is mostly based on observable behavior described by characteristics, and traits. Traits equate from an individual’s behavioral consistencies, and characteristics demonstrate one’s unique attributes such as physical aspects, intellect, temperament, and wit. Traits also offer exclusive characteristics, which provide a person individuality, and stability to his or her behavior. According to Feist & Feist (2009, p. 4), personality is best defined as “a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior.” Although this may be a modern day definition, several theorists offer a definition slightly different and suggest that it can change because of a theorist’s world...
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...learning which empowers one’s ability to adapt to different patterns of behavior. For years various theories have been introduced to explain how people learn. Learning can and does occur in a variety of methods. People may deem learning as experiences that become embedded into their memory having lasting effects. Others may think of learning as how they acquire new information and their ability to apply memory that has been stored overtime. While learning has often been defined in many ways, the basic element in the learning process is how people acquire knowledge and how it is maintained to produce changes in behavior. Learning is the fundamental nature of human functioning. This reflective paper presents a broad scope of theoretical concepts from Gregory Kimble, B.F. Skinner and Jean Piaget. The central focus of this paper is aspects of Albert Bandura’s observational, social learning and social cognitive theories; Bandura’s contributions to psychology; his critics and my personal response to Bandura’s theories. Introduction Many theories throughout the years have been proposed to explain human behavior. Until recent times, some theorists held the belief that motivational forces in the forms of drives, needs and impulses, usually operating below the level of consciousness were the most important determinants. Since proponents of this school of thought considered the principal causes of behavior to be forces within an individual, this is where...
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...Social Psychology The way that humans interact with themselves and others can have a strong impact on how they behave. This can be a negative interaction or a positive interaction. How can one person by shy and quiet at home but be outgoing and loud with their group of friends? Social psychology takes a more in-depth look out how these situations shape them into who they are and how they act. Social psychology is a science that studies how situations can influences the views of a person and how they affect one another (Myers, 2010). There are three big parts to social psychology: social thinking, social influences, and social relations (Myers 2010). Each person is different in his or her own way. If two people are put in the same type of situation, both will act and behave differently because each of them “think differently” (Myers, 2010, p. 5). Social thinking involves how humans interact with other people and how they think about them. A person’s emotions are affected by how they think about someone and how that someone responds to them (Garcia, 2012). Humans are very intuitive, more often than they realize. Intuition helps shapes persons fears, impressions, and relationships, (Myers, 2010) but it sometimes can be dangerous depending how quickly a person judges something or someone. The next part of social psychology is social influences, which come from a person’s culture, pressures to conform, persuasion, and groups of people (Myers, 2010). “Sometimes the power of a...
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...Social Psychology Mandana Smith PSY/555 June 18, 2012 Deirdre A. Teaford, Ph.D. Social Psychology Insight by social psychology in regard to individual learning, interaction, and development of personalities. Developed over time on various relationships, a better understanding into reactions or actions based on other individuals and the environment provide some insight. The purpose of this paper is to define social psychology, analyze the four key characteristics of social psychology as well as explain the concept of situationism and role in social psychology, and identifying the five core social motives and explain the effects on social psychology. Defining Social Psychology Effects of cognitive and social process on an individual’s perceptions on influences in relation to others as a scientific study are defined as social psychology. Individuals influence each other whether by taking, behavior, actions, or walking that also influence affects on -the -job or career paths he or she takes. A product of his or her environment, other items, places or individuals can carry a positive or negative effect on individual personalities and development over time. Social psychology provides a better understanding into various aspects of human behaviors and interactions with...
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...to do with false appearances and everything to do with observable behavior, as describe through traits and characteristics. Traits account for behavioral consistencies in an individual over time; and characteristics explain the unique attributes of an individual, such as temperament, intelligence, and physique. Collectively, the definition of personality entails, “…a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior” (Feist & Feist, 2006, p. 4). The full breadth and scope of the psychological understanding of personality is forthcoming in the course of an examination of the theoretical approaches to the study of personality and an assessment of the factors that influence the development of individual traits and characteristics. Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Personality Quantifiable Human Nature The study of personality in the field of psychology is largely predicated on the assumption of a basic human nature, which finds its articulation through the perspectives, viewpoints, and world-views of individual researchers. The entirety of the subject-matter on human nature in the area of psychology falls within six dualistic dimensions: 1) determinism versus free choice; 2) pessimism versus optimism; 3) causality versus teleology; 4) conscious versus unconscious determinants of behavior; 5) biological versus social influences; 6) uniqueness versus similarities. Free choice entails the belief...
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...understanding, personality will continue to be a focus for psychological research and theories. Personality Definition The term “personality” in the Latin reference means persona, which is like a mask an actor, wears in shows during the Greek or Roman performances (Feist & Feist, 2006). The actor superimposes his or her persona to establish an appearance in the characters plot. During modern day, personality has a separation from false appearances in regards to behavior that is observable. Personality tends to describe the characteristics or traits of people. There are consistencies of behaviors that traits take account for through time, which characteristics describe the attributes of a person. An example would be a person’s intelligence of physique. A pattern of traits, which are permanent, with characteristics that are unique provide consistency to the behavior of a person is known as personality (Feist & Feist, 2006). This can influence the stability of a person’s behavior and reliability of behavior in situations. Understanding a Theory The word theory is one of the most understood words in the English language. A set of assumptions that allow the use of deductive reasoning to formulate hypotheses at a testable level is known as a scientific...
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