Calvin Wong's social psychology journal entry discusses social loafing and Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. For social loafing, Wong summarizes that individuals put in less effort working in groups compared to alone due to factors like low self-confidence, reliance on others, and not wanting to be surpassed. Maslow's hierarchy of needs outlines basic human needs from physiological to self-actualization, with the expanded version adding cognitive, aesthetic, and transcendence needs. Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory, which explains how children develop thinking abilities through experiences, is also briefly introduced.

1. Social Psychology Journal
Name: Calvin Wong Ping Ket
Student ID: 0322481
Timeslot: 8.00am-10.00am
Intake: FNBE March 2015

2. SOCIAL LOAFING
Social loafing is define as individuals make less of an effort when they are in a group
than they would if they are attempting to achieve the goal on their own. In 1883, Max
Ringelman conducted a study from which he conducted that an individual’s performance
actually gets worse in the presence of others. He found that when he ask a group of men to
pull a rope, they do not pull as hard as when they were pulling alone. Less effort is made for
an individual when there are in a group. Social loafing shows that when an individual is
working alone more effort will be put into the task that he is doing. Through my
understanding and thinking, this happens is due to different kind of reasons.
The first kind of mind set that I can think of is the person have little self-confidence,
which make him shy to present their selves in a group, will often lead to making less effort. A
person will think that he cannot do anything well ending up having the result as he expected.
For example, when I was still a chubby boy, I was asked to participate in a rope pulling
competition, because of I am continuously called fat by everyone and I thinks that I got no
any muscles but only fat. This could cause me giving out less effort, which will cause the win
for the team. The me before which have no confidence will think that I will just pull with
everything I have but in reality the effort that is given out by me is not as much as when I pull
the rope by my own. Therefore, social loafing occurs. The boy is needed to believe in myself
in order to give out the maximum effort that he has.
Besides that, a person who likes to rely on others and have no responsibility is
another attitude that have proven social loafing. This is because they do not like to take
responsibility towards their task and try to ask others for help or just wait for others to help
them. As an example, my friends and I who is given a task by the teacher, my friend who is
used to rely on others will provide less effort than those who are more responsible and
independent. He tends to let others do all the work while he will try to put as least effort to
the task is given. This will usually cause the whole group to get lower marks and people to
dislike ones attitude. This will also cause the student to be less self-confident because of
showing to others that he or she is not capable of doing anything good. Therefore, people
will treat that particular person like what they see him as.
Another kind of mind set that will cause social loafing to occur is the personality that
does not want others to surpass him. This is the kind of personality that would always
wanted to be the greatest at anything, they are scared of being surpass and someone being
mightier than them. So when they are doing things in a group, that particular individual will
not give in as much effort as doing it himself. But when he is doing a task himself, he will
sure to give it all to produce a good result for himself. By doing this, it will ensure the top
place that he is currently at is secure. No one will be able to surpass him and he will always
be the mightiest of all. This kind of people will probably like to do work alone while not
working together with others.
Some limitations will also be the cause of social loafing occurring. One of those
limitations are the limitations of communication. Every person grew up from a different
environment and they speak different language. This will cause some person to have
different mother language. When a person have a different mother language than the
environment he is in. The person will tend to speak less and communicate less. This is
because we will not feel comfortable if we speak the language that we seldom speak. We
will stick to language that we are familiar with and stick with people that we are comfortable
with. With this, an individual who was starting to live in a new environment will tend to
communicate less with the people around and causes a less participation in activities, which
cause less effort given out.

3. As a conclusion, many different factors can prove that social loafing is being used in
our daily life. Attitudes and limitations are the main cause of social loafing is happening in
our daily life. We can see that social loafing is not really a good thing to be practice.
Therefore, it is important for one to have a positive mind set, in order to live a positive life.
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4. HEIRARCHCY OF NEEDS
Abraham Maslow has developed the hierarchy of needs. The hierarchy of needs is
the human needs that all human shared. When those needs is not achieved, it will try to
motivate us to fulfil the needs. With this, it can maintain our daily life. For example, when we
are hungry, we will need to eat in order to stay alive, if we do not eat we might starve to
death. The hunger will motivate us to find food and fill our empty stomach in order for us to
continue to survive.
The original hierarchy of needs that Abraham Maslow created consists of only five
layers, which consist of physiological needs, safety needs, love and belongings needs,
esteem needs and self-actualization from bottom to top. The first layer, the bottom layer of
the hierarchy, which is physiological needs includes every living organism survival needs,
which are air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep and avoidance of pain. As an example,
when we swim we will tend to come out from the water every now and then, because without
air we would not be able to survive. The second level of the hierarchy needs is the safety
and security needs. These needs is used to help the human beings to be safe and free out
of danger and fear. Another way to ensure the safety and security of the human being is by
having justice in law and order. A society with justice will able to differentiate the victim and
the criminal. With this, the society will be able to live peacefully and build a stronger trust for
the law and order. The third level of the hierarchy of needs will be the needs for love and
belongingness. This needs is important for us as it can let us to feel comfortable with the
people we are familiar with. It can also cure loneliness. We will tend to find a group where
we fits in well and will not participate in a group that we felt that we are not welcome. For
example, my group of friends are usually connected with at least one same characteristic
and at least one same topic that we always discuss about. This happens because people will
feel more comfortable with people that have similar traits to them. At the top of original
hierarchy of needs is self-actualization needs. The self-actualization is the ability of a person
to realize a personal potential and seek for personal growth. A person self-actualization will
differ from person to person. Each person will have different potential that is why self-
actualization is different for every person. As an example, an athlete will be able to
determine their potential and focus on making the most out of their potential.
The expanded version of the hierarchy of needs that we used now consist of eight
layers. The first four layers of the expanded version of the hierarchy of needs consist of
physiological needs, safety and security, love and belongings, and esteem needs. The first
four layers are known as the basic needs. These needs are those needs that will surely
motivate you into action to acquire it. While, the other needs from the fifth level and above is
known as the being needs by Abraham Maslow. This is because those needs are needs that
deal more with being self-actualize and being the most a person can be. The fifth level of the
expanded version of the hierarchy is the cognitive needs. This is the need for a person to
gain knowledge and to understand the meaning of things. This is important as in the society
today, knowledge can be one of the requirements to be successful. The sixth level of the
expanded hierarchy of needs is aesthetic needs. These are the needs that we use to
appreciation and search of beauty and balance. More artistic person will have a better
aesthetic needs, they tend to find and appreciate beauty. It is important as appreciation to
the beauty in our surroundings can help us live a better and happier life. For example, a
photographer will take photos of beautiful sceneries and object. The following level, which is
the seventh level, will be the self-actualization needs. The needs to realize and achieve a
person full potential. The last needs at the top of the expanded hierarchy needs is the
transcendence needs. The transcendence needs is the need for a person to help others to
achieve self-actualization. Transcendence needs can only happen when a person is truly

5. satisfy with their other needs. For example, a person that is happy and satisfy with their life
will have more sympathy and will try to help the others that needed their help.
As a conclusion, the hierarchy of needs is the different necessities that a person
needed in order to live well. Basic needs will be able to ensure that we will be able to
continue to survive will the others need will be help us to get better at things and live a better
life.
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6. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT THEORY
The cognitive development theory is a theory that was suggested by Jean Piaget in
1952. The cognitive development theory is used to explain how an infant or child develop
into an individual that can think and reason with hypothesis. The cognitive development is
construction of understanding of a child to understand the world through experiencing and
discovering new things. Piaget’s theory is different from others theory due to Piaget’s theory
focuses on development of infant and children. The cognitive development theory consists of
five parts, they are, schema, assimilation, accommodation, equilibrium and equilibration.
Schema is formed when a new stimulus is being exposed to a child. A schema is the
assumption or representation that the child made when new stimuli is being exposed to him.
The schema is used to understand the world better. The more new stimuli is exposed to the
child, more schema will be form and also the development and modification of schema will
take place. As an example, when I saw a clown for the first time, I assumed that people with
curly hair are clowns. Then a schema of a clown will be formed in the child’s mind.
Assimilation is the process where a schema is exposed to a new stimulus and tends
to develop. When a child experienced new things on an existing schema, the new stimulus
will not seems to match with the existing schema. Therefore, the schema will develop by
including all the new stimulus into it. This process will cause the schema to grow but it will
not change the schema. Using the example in above, when I saw a person with curly hair, I
assumed that the person with curly hair is a clown. But when I am told that the person is not
a clown and a clown wears a fancy outfit with make-up and a big red nose, assimilation will
then take place. A new stimulus of the clown is shown to me, the new stimulus will cause the
schema of a clown to grow by adding the traits of the clown that is told into the schema.
Therefore, I will assumed that a guy with curly hair, make-up, big red nose, and a fancy outfit
is a clown from that point on.
Accommodation is the process that allows the child to modify his existing schema to
accommodate the new stimuli that is being exposed to. Accommodation will allow the
schema to modify in order to deal with certain situations. As an example, a child with a
schema of table that is square and have four legs. When a round table with one leg in the
middle is show to me as a child, my schema of a table is being exposed to new stimuli. I will
then tends to find a schema that I have that have similarities with the round table. The
schema will then accommodate to accept the round table as the schema for a table.
Equilibrium is where the state of the schema is comfortable in an individual.
Equilibrium occurs when assimilation and accommodation works together to create more
adequate schema in order to understand the world. Equilibrium prefers a steady and
comfortable states for the schema. When the new stimuli does not match with the existing
schema, disequilibrium will occur. This will cause assimilation and accommodation to take
place in order for us to adapt the situation.
Equilibration will occurs when the equilibrium state of a child is disrupted by a new
piece of information that is not able to fit into the existing schema and causing disequilibrium.
When this occurs, equilibration will take place the child will get force to learn and master the
new piece of information, in order for the schema to continue exist in an equilibrium states.
As an example, I who tends to live with my parents move out from my house and live alone
to further my studies. I will need to maintain my new home alone. Therefore, I will need to
learn to adapt and make adjustment in order to learn to live alone.
As a conclusion, the cognitive development theory is pretty interesting as it defined
how we learn and adapt to new information as humans. With this there will always be room

7. for humans to evolve to survive as a better species. A schema will form as a child is exposed
to a new stimulus. Assimilation and accommodation will then take place in order for the
schema to grow and modify to understand the world better. With this, the child will be able to
remain his schema in an equilibrium condition. When disequilibrium occurs due to a new
piece of information that does not fit in the schema, equilibration will occurs as the learning
process take place. This will be able to help the schema to get back to the equilibrium state.
The adjusted schema will then continue to exist until the next time an adjustment is needed.
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8. COVARIATION THEORY
The covariation theory by Harold Kelley explain how normal people uses social
perception to attribute other behaviours to dispositional and situational attributions. The
covariation theory also explains how we gather the information through perception and how
we use it to make a judgement about someone’s behaviour. A dispositional attribution is the
assumptions that the cause of an event is due to an individual’s internal characteristics,
while situational dispositions is the assumptions that the cause of an event is due to the
environment factors that cause it happens. The word covariation is defined as the ability of
an individual that has multiple observation on different times and situations and will be able
to aware of the observed effect and its causes. This theory assumes that an individual has
the information from the past and determine the differences and the similarities of one event
compare to another.
Harold Kelley propose that we make attribution based on three types of information
or variables we gathered. These three variables are consensus, distinctiveness, and
consistency. Consensus is the answer to questions, do others behave the same way in the
same situation? Consensus is able to determine the behaviour of the person, whether the
person behave like others or his behaviour differs from others. If the individual behaves
differently from others, the consensus is low, whereas if the individual behaves like the
others, the consensus is high. As an example, a friends of mine, Max, smokes when he go
out with his friends, his friends smokes too. It is high consensus because the people around
him also smokes. If Max smokes but his friends does not smoke, the consensus is low.
The next variable is distinctiveness. Distinctiveness variable is the answer to, does
the same person behave the same way in other situations? Distinctiveness is able to
determine whether the person is acting strangely or just being himself. This is important as it
can determine whether it is the individual problem or it is cause by the environment. If an
individual behave the same way in other situation the distinctiveness is low. Whereas if an
individual behave differently in other situations the distinctiveness is high. As an example, if
Max only smoke when he is with his friends, his distinctiveness is high, but if Max smokes
anywhere anytime, the distinctiveness is low.
The following variable will be consistency. Consistency variable can answer the
question to how often the behaviour of the individual occur across time in the same exact
situation. Consistency will be able to determine the behaviour that an individual act is a habit
or a normal behaviour to an individual. If an individual often behave that way the consistency
will be high, whereas is an individual seldom behave in such a way, the consistency is low.
As an example, if Max often smoke with his friends, the consistency of max smoking will be
high. If Max seldom smoke, the consistency of him smoking will be low.
When Max smokes but his friends does not, the consensus is low, and he smokes
anywhere anytime, the distinctiveness is high. Max often smoke, the consistency is high.
Therefore, the cause of Max smoking is caused by internal causes, which is cause by his
own internal characteristics. Whereas, if Max and his friends smoke, high consensus, and he
smoke anywhere anytime, high distinctiveness. Max often smoke, high consistency.
Therefore, the cause of Max smoking is caused by external causes, which probably is
effected by his friends.
In conclusion, the three variables will effects how a person make assumption to
others behaviour. Consensus is important as it will make sure the person behaving on its
own will or behaving with the crowd. Then comes distinctiveness, this will be able to make
sure that the behaviour of the individual is constant when the individual in put in different

9. situation. The last variables is consistency, this will be able to make sure that the action that
the person has taken is a part of his own behaviour or it is not. When the consensus is high,
the distinctiveness is high and the consistency is high, the attribution that will be made is the
cause of the event is cause by an external causes. While, if the consensus is low, the
distinctiveness is high, and the consistency is high, the attribution that will be made is the
cause of the event is cause by an internal causes. Therefore, it is important for one to gather
as much information for each variables in order to prevent wrong assumption which will lead
to misunderstanding and then breaking the bond with the people around you. For the sake of
a peaceful society, people should gather more information on the variables stated,
consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency, before judging and making incorrect
assumption for others. A wrong assumptions made might lead to very serious problems.
With this, it is important for people to learn the covariation theory and make better
assumption in the future.
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10. COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
Cognitive dissonance states that a feeling of discomfort will appear when a situation
is conflicting attitudes, behaviour and belief. When an attitude is not conflicting with the
behaviour, cognitive dissonance will not occur. Cognitive dissonance will occur when an
attitudes is conflicting with the attitude. This will lead to the change in one attitude. This
theory is suggested by Leon Festinger. The cognitive dissonance theory proposed that in
order to maintain cognitive consistency, where attitudes and behaviour is in keeping,
sometimes irrational behaviour will be taken in order to maintain it. For example, my family
and I always told my father that smoking is bad for his body, he know the negative impact of
smoking yet he still continues to smoke. Cognitive dissonance is the tension that occur when
two opposing thinking meet together. In order to have the attitude and the behaviour to stay
in a consonant relationship, we will automatically motivated to eliminate the dissonance that
occur by finding a third consonant element. There are three ways for us to eliminate the
dissonance that is happening, which is change the attitude, add a consonant element and
reduce the importance of the attitude.
Firstly, the change in attitude. By changing one attitude, we can change the opposing
attitude to achieve a consonant relationship. This will work as for behaviour, we can also
change the opposing behaviour to eliminate the dissonance. To change either the attitude or
the behaviour is based on how one cognitively process it. But for most people changing an
attitude or a behaviour is not an easy job especially when the attitude and behaviour is what
one apply in his or her daily life as a kid or for years. This live long devoted attitude and
behaviour will not be change that easily. For example, my father knows the negative impact
of smoking yet he still smokes it and he always gave excuses that he had smoke for a long
time and he cannot change it. We understand that it is not an easy job for him, then we
decide to tell him that to control the intake of cigarettes daily.
Besides that, adding a consonant element that support either one of the two
elements, that cause dissonance, will help to eliminate the dissonance. This is by acquiring
or searching of information that supports either the attitude or the behaviour in order for one
to feel more comfortable and relief. This will also be able to reduce the tension when one is
facing dissonance. This third consonant element will prove either one of the attitude or the
behaviour is wrong and eliminate it to continue to exist cognitively. Finding information is
easy, but finding enough information for one to feel satisfy is not hard yet not so easy. There
is always two sides of things, if one chose one sides, he should never forget what the other
side might cause one. Two sides of the information is important that this will be able to help
an individual to fully realize the negative and positive effects of the things that is causing the
dissonance. For example, when I was a kid, I drank my water and then realize there are a
few ants inside. I went panic because I had never drank or eat an ant before. I told my
mother and I was scare. Until my mother told me that eating an ant would not cause
anything to happened, then I felt relief as I learnt that accidentally eating an ant is not a big
deal.
Another way of eliminating is by reducing the importance of an attitude. Reducing the
importance of the attitude will lead to the individual to ignore the attitude as it is less
important. This is for one to decide cognitively whether that particular attitude should be
ignore or not, whether the attitude is important or not. This is totally up to an individual
decision. This will be able to make sure that the individual felt comfortable mentally. As the
way of one thinking can change one attitude and behaviour. This is for one to give support
and to encourage oneself to live a better life. As I mentioned earlier, my family and I ask my
father to stop smoking but it did not work. Firstly is due to the excuses he gave us that he

11. smoke for many years already. Then we decided to ask him to control the daily cigarettes
intake. Another part where is stopping my father from quitting smoking is his thinking. He
chose to ignore to change as he know changing is very hard. Therefore, he cognitively
reduces the importance of the negative impact of smoking and continue to smoke instead.
As a conclusion, cognitive dissonance will cause one to feel uncomfortable as the
ideas that presented clash with the ideas that one have. This will cause one to get out of the
comfort zone. One will need to achieve either changing the attitude, find a third consonant
element, or reduce the importance of the certain attitude. This will cause one to change in
either attitude or behaviour. Therefore, an individual will be able to return to a cognitively
comfort state as dissonance is eliminated.
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