This document contains a student's submission for their Social Psychology course. It discusses several cognitive biases through examples from the student's life experiences, including: 1) Perseverance effect - how the student's parents continued believing negative stereotypes about Nigerians despite evidence to the contrary. 2) Confirmation bias - how the student's mother only acknowledged information confirming her view that her niece was perfect. 3) False consensus effect - how the student assumed other university students would be open-minded about discussing sex but found some were not. 4) Observational learning - how the student began smoking after dating a boyfriend who smoked frequently. 5) Halo effect - how the student's positive view

1. Name: Atiqah Syasya Janathan
Student ID: 0320566
Group / Session: Monday 2-4pm
Subject: Social Psychology (PSY30203)
Course: Foundation In Natural & Built Environment
Submission Date: 27th April 2015

2. Perseverance Effect
Based on my understanding and knowledge, the perseverance effect defines as
where people continue to belief even when the evidence for those beliefs are proven
to be incorrect. Perseverance effect can take place in any part of situation, such as
whenever we are thinking of something.
For as long as I can remember, my parents have always shown dislike and
distrust towards the Nigerians living in Malaysia. They believe that all the Nigerians
living in Malaysia are scammers, drug dealers or addicts, gangsters and so on. Their
beliefs on this subject matter were obtained from the social media.
So because of that, my parents have always advised me not to befriend
Nigerians. Unlike my parents, I am not easily convinced especially from the social
media despite having being told that it is a reliable information. To prove my parents
wrong, I went against their advise and befriended a Nigerian girl who was my
neighbor. The Nigerian girl turned out not to be what my parents would expect; a shy
student studying engineering in a university nearby.
With this evidence, I tried to convince my parents that their judgments are
impaired because of the way they think or perceive people and information. The
outcome was that they still hold on tightly to their beliefs obtained from the social
media regardless evidence that proves they are actually incorrect. This displays as an
example of the perseverance effect.

3. Confirmation Bias
Based on my knowledge and understanding, confirmation bias defines as a type
of selective thinking where one tends to notice and look for what confirms one's
beliefs, while ignores or undervalues the relevance of what contradicts one's beliefs.
Confirmation bias occurs when one filters out potentially useful facts and opinions
that do not correspond to their beliefs.
Since I was young, my mother has the tendency to compare me to her sister's
daughter who is the same age as me. Her subject of comparison are always the same
matter; my cousin is better than me, a perfect daughter. She complaints why I cannot
be more like her niece.
My cousin is a straight A student studying medicine in the UK. I do believe
that I am doing well in my studies, but unfortunately not as good enough as my
cousin according to my mother. When my mother found out that her niece was
planning on pursuing her studies in medicine, she literally forced me to do the same
despite knowing that I have been wanting to pursue in architecture since at a very
young age. Luckily, my father managed to convince her to let me pursue my dreams
in becoming an architect after having a long discussion with her.
Little did my mother know that her niece does not seem to be of what she
thinks and sees. I have always been close to my cousin. She has always been a very
gregarious and outgoing person who enjoys parties and social activities. Moreover,

4. she was a drug and alcohol abuser, even before moving to the overseas. Although I
have evidence to prove my mother that her niece is not a perfect daughter, I refuse to
do so as I do not wish to jeopardize my relationship with my cousin.
After a few months of living in the UK, my cousin moved back to Malaysia as
she failed in her studies. In the end, she got a job working as a receptionist at a hotel.
My mother assumed and blamed the influences and culture shock that her niece may
have obtained from living in the overseas.
Nowadays, my mother still compares me to her niece, only this time her
comparisons are that she is more hardworking and making more money than I am at
this age. This situation shows the confirmation bias.

5. False Consensus
Based on my understanding and knowledge, false consensus defines as the
tendency of people to overestimate the level to which other people share their beliefs,
attitudes and behaviors.
Personally, I see myself as an open-minded person. Besides that, I have a small
group of friends who think the same way as I do. The people who I always spend
time with are indeed like me; we share the same beliefs, attitudes and behavior. One
of the many conversational topics that we feel comfortable talking about is sex.
Having to know that the Taylor's University Lakeside is a private university, I
assumed that the students and people there are more likely to be open-minded
compared to the ones in the government universities in Malaysia. Little did I know
that I was wrong to have thought and assumed that all of the students and people
share the same belief, attitude and behavior as I do.
As I become comfortable with some of the students that I have met, I thought it
would be fine to bring up the sex topic in our conversation. As a result, I found that
some were shocked and surprised to hear me talk about the topic. They thought I was
rude and immoral. I have never had any problems whenever I bring up this topic with
my close friends. They do not think it is rude and immoral, nor have they ever judged
me. This displays the false consensus.

6. Observational Learning
Based on my knowledge and understanding, observational learning defines as a
form of social learning in which people acquire new behavior by watching someone
else perform that behavior. The person performing the behavior is known as the
model and the learner is known as the observer.
Last year, I dated a boy who was a smoker. I on the other hand, do not smoke.
One of the things that I have observed about his behavior is that he tends to smoke
alot; he smokes every few hours. He could finish a pack of cigarettes in a day.
As I spent more of my time with him, I find myself wanting to smoke as I have
become extremely intrigued to finding out what was so fun and exciting about
smoking. I realized that I was influenced and learned to smoke from observing the
boy. I have now become a smoker. This situation shows as an example of an
observational learning.

7. Halo Effect
Based on my understanding and knowledge, the halo effect defines as a
cognitive bias in which an observer's overall impression of a person, company, brand,
or product influences the observer's feelings and thoughts about that entity's character
or properties.
Since I was a child, I have always admired Britney Spears. I have always
enjoyed listening to her songs as well as her dancing talents in her music videos. To
me, she is an amazing artist, a beautiful women inside and out. I wanted to be like
her.
Besides that, I desired to dress like Britney Spears. Spears always dresses
provocatively; inappropriate for young girls to imitate her style of dressing. And so, I
bought adult clothes and wore them, in which I was scolded by my parents for
dressing inappropriately especially for my age.
In 2005, Britney Spears endorsed perfumes called, "Fantasy". Even though I
barely use perfumes, I implored my parents to buy me one despite knowing that I
would not even use it.
The reasons are obvious to why I would do such unnecessary things. It is
because I have a good impression towards Britney Spears. I see her as my role model.
This coveys the halo effect.