1. Name: Jacquelyn Vanessa Tee
Student ID: 0320021
Group/Session: Monday (2pm-4pm tutorial class)
Subject: Social Psychology
Course: Foundation in Natural and Built Environments (FNBE)
Submission date: 27th April 2015
Lecturer: Mr. Shankar
2. 25th April 2015
Journal 1: Social Psychology
Entry 1: Social Facilitation
As one said by Francis Bacon, “No man is an island, entire by itself”. We as
social creatures rely on one another whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually.
Spending time alone is sometimes therapeutic but too much of it in some cases, can
lead to having really weak communication skills. In the year 1898, Norman Triplett
undertakes the study on the speed records of cyclists. Triplett noticed that these
cyclists performed better with speed in the presence of others rather than racing
against the clock alone, and that basically defines what social facilitation is all about.
Most people perform a whole lot better with the presence of others, me included due
to the fact that they have a boost of confidence and motivation to do nothing else but
be the best to create a good impression on others. I am pretty sure that everyone has
included social facilitation in to his or her life on certain situations to achieve a
specific goal.
In my whole 18 years of living, I can honestly say that social facilitation has
been present in my life since the day that I made acquaintances. I am not really sure if
it is something that I should be proud about but that is the truth. On this present day, it
is clear and safe to say that the world is filled with individuals who are incredibly
talented in drawing, photography, singing, and a whole lot more. I, personally do not
think I am any good in anything that I am passionate about, which somehow resulted
me into being better in my performance with a confidante, or a few confidantes by my
side, or at least in the same room where I can visibly see them from a distance. I wish
3. this was changeable but it is practically habitual for me since it is something that I
have practicing since a very young age therefore it is inevitable for me.
Social facilitation is usually applied in my life whenever I make a so-called
courageous attempt to sing. I am actually an aspiring singer that hopes to grow big
and expand my career after I complete my bachelor degree in architecture. But every
day when I tell myself to finally make that move to upload my covers on YouTube, I
chicken out. Whenever a family friend asks me to perform for a wedding, I would
always ask for permission to bring my band mates along or someone who could
perform a duo or a trio with me. I am ultimately ashamed of myself for not being
confident enough to perform alone but that is just my human nature. I feel better and
less afraid of what people would think of my voice when I am performing with others.
Personally, I also tend to let out better falsettos as well as do better runs while singing
when I’m second voicing with someone else.
In a nutshell, I hope social facilitation will eventually turn into social loafing
and be applied into my life when it comes to singing. This way, I am able to make my
initial dream and career come true although it somehow seems like a pipe dream and
absolutely nonsensical.
4. 25th April 2015
Journal 2: The Self
Entry 1: Self-Verification Theory
Convincing others that we are what we perceive ourselves, as is basically what
some people are struggling with. As once stated by Miyamoto Mushashi, “Perceive
that which cannot be seen with the eye.” It is most definitely reassuring knowing that
I am not the only person living with the self-verification theory applied to my
everyday basis. Self-verification theory proposes that people prefer others to see them
as they see themselves, even if their self-views happen to be negative. The best
example to define this theory clearer is those who see themselves as likeable wants
others to see them as such, and people who see themselves as mean and fierce want
others to perceive them that way. One of the most rational reasons why people seek
self-verification is because self-verifying evaluations smoothens the social interaction
between one another by guiding actions and also by letting people know what to
expect from others. Nevertheless, those who possess negative self-views are only
going to prevent the good changes and make their lives unpleasantly rough than they
would be otherwise.
I myself am struggling with the self-verification theory because I perceive
myself as an anti-social, and what’s worse is that I want people to see me that way.
Sometimes I just enjoy solitude a bit too much, maybe. That is only because I like
keeping things to myself, and opening up can be a little laborious to me due to the fact
that I have trust issues. Being able to have the ability to let others understand what I
am indirectly trying to tell is very therapeutic. One very vivid and memorable
experience that best describe my self-verification theory story is when I plastered a
5. straight face whilst studying alone in the library. I was in a state of being pressured
and stressed to a very great degree due to assignments and projects. Hence, I sat alone
with all of my stationaries and whatnot that were scattered all over the table I was at
to steer clear from the possibility of my friends joining the study date I was having
with myself. To my surprise, it actually worked. A few of my course mates who were
only few tables away from me did not even bother approaching my table. I had a pair
of earphones plugged into my ears and had an unwelcoming facial expression whilst
wrapping up my assignments with my face drawn to my laptop screen. Truthfully
speaking, I am not proud of this but desperate times call for desperate measures and
being an anti-social was inevitable, especially when I was rushing against time to
finish the assignments and projects that I was aiming an A for.
All in all, I know the self-verification theory will be applied throughout my
whole life in situations that are applicable due to how stubborn I am to avoid it.
Although it has its pros and cons, I am still going to use this theory the same way I
have been using it from the start because that is just the way I am. I quote a sentence
said by Justin Timberlake that I can relate so much to, “The best part of being alone is
that you really don’t have to answer to anybody. You do what you want.”
6. 25th April 2015
Journal 3: Social Cognition
Entry 1: The Optimistic Bias
It is obviously human nature to some people who are optimistically bias that
they will always convince themselves that they are less at jeopardy or in trouble when
what they are actually experiencing is the total opposite. I quote Noreena Hertz whom
I totally agree with, “All of us show bias when it comes to what information we take
in. We typically focus on anything that agrees with the outcome we want.” A few
examples that can provide an in-depth understanding about what optimistic bias is
when people who are sexually driven have unsafe sex with different individuals
whilst believing that they are unlikely to contract STD and other deathly diseases. But
according to the research done by psychologists, the optimistic bias is much more
stronger for negative events. When the optimistic bias occurs, it usually leads to only
positive consequences or negative consequences. This will often lead to a state of
feeling happy and feelings of self-esteem, or lead to even more risk than they were
initially in.
I can relate to the optimistic bias because of a few life experiences I went
through that made it inevitable to not apply. For instance, there was this one time I
participated in an interschool competition called International Understanding Day. In
the year 2014, I was the current president serving for my school’s Interact Club and I
had to lead my whole club to glory in order to raise and improve the name and image
of my high school. Basically, each school that participated in this competition must
chose a country that they desire and start researching about the history, culture, food,
dance, costumes and traditional decorations. It will all be extracted to a 10mx10m
7. booth on the competition day decoration-wise, and dancers will need to perform a
dance of 8 minutes that best represent the dance done in that country whilst wearing
the traditional costume while the other members sell the food that their country is best
known for, as well as present a detailed and clear understanding about their selected
country to the Rotarians when they arrive. For me to be in control of such a high post
in the Interact Club and be under the pressure of my principal, it was dreadful
everyday coming to school knowing that I will either be scolded or pressured even
more. Despite all the mishaps that happened while preparing for the big day, I have
always reminded my club members and myself included that even though our
progress is unhurried we will at least get 1st-runner up. But realistically, our props
were absolutely humiliating, our food tasted really plain, and our dance only reached
up to 4 minutes. Fortunately, with the power of my optimistic biasness I was always
cheery and happy-go-lucky, and eventually my club members sped up their pace in
the prop-making and food-baking. In the end, to my surprise my school actually
emerged as 1st-runner up and I was immensely ecstatic and laughed and cried oh-so
terribly because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
In conclusion, being optimistically bias in a positive way is definitely
something everyone should make a habit of. This is because it will not just make one
feel better about themselves, but also the individual affected will not carry too much
burden on their shoulders. I quote Ambrose Bierce, “Optimism- the doctrine or belief
that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly.”
8. 25th April 2015
Journal 4: Social Perception
Entry 1: First Impressions
The moment you walk into a room filled with a crowd of people, you
undoubtedly judge a person in an instant by the way they walk, talk, look, and dress. I
fairly recall Billy Zane saying, “For me it’s always about first impressions. I trust my
instincts. I love to prepare if it’s something that requires training. But I don’t like to
prepare the psychology too much. I enjoy the psychology of the character but I work
better from a first impression.” It is inevitable that we humans, as social creatures
tend to judge each other every time we encounter other people. Judging others has its
pros because you may be able to detect the ones who have a two-faced personality,
but it also has its cons because you may misjudge someone who is the total opposite
of who you perceive them to be.
I immensely believe that every single human being that encounters someone
else for the first time will instantaneously create a mental image of that specific
person. As for me, I have made tons of friends and formed my own first impression
on them. One of the most picturesque memories that I can remember about my first
impression experiences was when I met a friend whom initially seemed shy, soft-
spoken and innocent. I would like to refer this friend of mine using the pronoun ‘it’ as
I do not want to reveal its gender. In the beginning, I met its parents when I was with
my family enrolling for something I would not like to mention. Its parents seemed
really calm and enthusiastic about everything in general whereas it was very quiet but
smiled at me anyways. I thought it was a nice gesture for it to actually reciprocate a
move to ask for my number to keep in contact. Little did I know, it turned out to be a
9. python on the inside. It has a really high sex drive, it turned out to be an introvert, it
turned out to be someone who is oblivious about their education and it turned out to
be someone who just hates humans in general. My first impression of it is the total
opposite of what I thought it was actually like.
In a nutshell, first impressions are not usually precise and should not be
entrusted too easily. It could sometimes be right, but it could also be a wrong
perception of others. That is why, everyone should not exactly trust their first
impression a 100% because they might differ from what you perceive of them after
spending a little more time to understand each other. As quoted from a statement that
was once agreed by Vincent D’Onofrio, “It’s pretty simple, pretty obvious: that
people’s first impression of people are really a big mistake.”
10. 25th April 2015
Journal 5: Attitudes
Entry 1: Cognitive Dissonance
On any occasion in every person’s life, they are bound to meet someone who
instantly shares the same belief, humor, personality, etc. However in some situations,
there are people who are also bound to make acquaintances who have opposing
behaviors, which will make everything a little more uncomfortable and strange. This
could either mold a healthy relationship or possibly an uneasy one. As once said by
Simon Mainwaring, “The role of social media is critical because it helps to spread
cognitive dissonance by connecting thought leaders and activists to ordinary citizens
rapidly expanding the network of people who become willing to take action.” The
psychologist who proposed this theory was Leon Festinger, who suggested that
people try to reach internal consistency and strive for their best.
The cognitive dissonance theory has been applied into my life throughout my
whole 18 years of living. The people I meet do not always instantaneously fall into
my best-friends list. Those who do not have the consistent flow of perceptions and
beliefs would mostly be labeled only as my acquaintances. It is impossible for me to
play along of being in a state of comfort with someone that I do not ‘click’ with at all.
For instance, I have this one friend who seeks after alcohol to release her stress. Me
being me, who is not fond of the taste of alcohol detected by my taste buds, I do not
tag along to any of her drinking sessions as I would like to stay sober. She is the type
of person that looks forward of the idea of getting drunk and loosing her thoughts in
whatever drink she chugs down. Due to the fact that I will distant myself from people
that do not share the same habits as I do, our friendship is very detached because of
11. our opposing routines. Even though deep in my heart I do feel the feeling of remorse,
I still cannot contemplate with what she is used to and I do not want to fall into her
insidious lifestyle.
In conclusion, as much as I want to avoid cognitive dissonance I know it is
inevitable for me, at least.
