PSY/SOC 245 at NSCC

Helping and Moral Behavior- Update!

2009-12-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
Gillian sent me a couple of articles I'd like to share with you- very on topic for this week.

The first one discusses the way people react in emergency situations- and how some people freeze while others take action. It's really interesting, and provides some great examples (including one heroic effort during 9/11 evacuations of the WTC that gave me chills to read about), and also gives tips for how to become a better 'reactor' to disasters and emergencies. Worth your time!

The second article is all about our sense of moral code and empathy. It discusses some of the research you read about in your textbook this week on animals and empathy. It also talks about how groups regulate themselves in terms of morality and correct social codes- bringing into the discussion many of the ideas of social influence we've been discussing this quarter.

UPDATE: And this one just in! Social scientists build case for 'survival of the kindest'

Thanks for sharing, Gillian!

Here's another good one that got sent to me about how helping behavior is seen in infants as young as 12 months old, and raises the idea that helping is innate and can be encouraged by parenting style.

Attraction links

2009-11-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Here are a bunch of links to things related to attraction, some of which I showed you today in class.

Here's the link to the site where you can average faces.

Here's the link to the video about how the media alters images using photoshop.

Here's an interesting article that discusses a theory about why there are less attractive single men to choose from as women get older.

If you like country music (I still haven't decided), this is a kind of fun example of the proximity effect. I am sure you can all think of plenty of examples of attraction/love in popular music, feel free to share links in the comments or on the discussion board.

And another article about how we present ourselves on the internet- generally if we are likeable face-to-face, we're also likeable online.

And a whole research lab devoted to the study of marriage in America- there's also some research here on teen pregnancy that those of you working on the topic for your perspectives project might find interesting.

Talking to Kids about Race

2009-11-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

Per the readings last week, there are a couple of other resources I came across which discuss the issue of talking to children about race issues.

The first is a blog by one of the authors of your article from last week, Po Bronson. He discusses his experience as a parent, and relates the research to his own concerns about having those conversations with his 3 year old daughter. It's readable and interesting.

The second is an article by Raina Kelley, published in Newsweek. It also references the Bronson and Merryman article and talks about discussing race with her biracial son. I have to say, her quote here about how it might be uncomfortable to talk about race with your kids got me rolling: "But parents have to do all kinds of things that make them feel yucky inside—from learning how to use an anal thermometer on a squirming infant to grounding your kid for smoking pot despite the fact that you used to toke so much bud it'd put a Rastafarian to shame. That's just the way parenting goes." She's a great writer.

The 5 Steps to Tyranny

2009-11-18T12:35:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
Below are the links to the video we watched a part of today. There are 5 "steps" and each video is posted separately. We watched Step 2, I also recommend watching Step 3 (but they're all good). Warning: some graphic footage here and there of genocide victims.

Step 1: 'Us and Them'
Step 2: 'Obey'
Step 3: 'Do them Harm'
Step 4: 'Stand By'
Step 5: 'Exterminate'

Oh, and here's a great example of the 'tipping point' of conformity at the Sasquatch Music Festival :)

Activities about Prejudice

2009-11-04T13:13:00.001-08:00

Hi all,
I wanted to put that Correll et al. shooting activity on here- you can do it here.

There's some other cool activities you can do online that illustrate concepts from this week's chapter. Here's one about how small preferences can result in the larger issue of segregation.

And take the 'equality quiz' here.

If you're interested in taking a look at the article for the Langer and Levy study (the one about older people and memory- stereotype threat), you can read it here.

If you discover anything you'd like to share, post in the comments here or on the discussion board.

Plagiarism Tutorial

2009-11-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

I hope that today's library tutorial was helpful for you and that you have some tools to start looking for information on your topic for your Perspectives Project.

I've placed Aryana's slideshow here on our website (under "Important Links" to the left).
Aryana will be visiting our class next Monday to talk about plagiarism and citing in APA format. As she mentioned, she'd like you to complete the Plagiarism tutorial before that class. There's a link on slide 17 or you can just go directly there by clicking here.

Setting up your NetID

2009-10-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

For Monday's class, we'll be meeting in the library to go over how to search for articles on your perspectives project. In order to get into the computer system on campus, you need a NetID. If you already have one, great! If you don't already have a NetID, you have to set one up before class on Monday. This is free and easy to set up. Go to this website, click on "Create My NetID" and follow the directions.

The Implicit Association Test

2009-10-26T09:18:00.001-07:00

For up to 5 points of extra credit, you may take the Implicit Association Test (IAT) online.
Print out your results and bring them to class on Wednesday OR post your thoughts about your experience on the discussion board BEFORE Wednesday.

You can take the test HERE.

Selective Attention

2009-10-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

Remember the video we watched on Monday with the Moonwalking Bear? This article in the paper today discusses a study just done that found that people on their cell phones were much less likely to notice a unicycling clown than people not on their phones.

Also, check out this video on Change Blindness- how much we miss in the world because of our subjective perception! Plus, it's hilarious what social psychologists can do in the name of science.

Stanford Prison Experiment

2009-10-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Here's some of the Stanford Prison Experiment if what we saw today intrigued you and you wanted more. Note that some of the language and behavior are disturbing.

The video also includes footage from Milgram- bonus!

PsyBlog: 10 Brilliant Social Psychology Studies

2009-10-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I know that the topic of research methods might be boring, but keep in mind that of all the areas of psychology, Social Psychologists tend to do the most fun research studies. I came across this blog- lots of great descriptions of Social Psych research here, and I especially liked this entry:

Why we do Dumb or Irrational Things : 10 Brilliant Social Psychology Studies

Enjoy!

And don't forget about the class discussion board! It's a great way to share more information and ask questions. Heather posted a link to a great video on false memories (that's what the picture for today is from). Go see what you're missing!

Welcome to Social Psychology!

2009-09-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the blog! I use this blog to post relevant information for class, copies of the additional required readings for the class (to cut costs for you), links to interesting news stories, and as a central place for notes and the class discussion board. Feel free to respond to blog posts or post comments/thoughts on the class discussion board (link is to the left).

To the right is a picture of a statue in Tarragona, Spain. I was in Tarragona in 2002 and it was just one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. I thought this statue was fascinating- it is called Estatua Castellers and depicts a pyramid of people, with many holding each other up. Seemed appropos of Social Psychology and the basic premise that people are social animals who influence each other....