This journal entry summarizes 5 events from the author's life that relate to concepts in social psychology. The first event describes group activities during university orientation where social influence and social loafing occurred. The second event discusses extrinsic motivation and social comparisons during a drawing tutorial. The third recounts an experience with heuristics and optimistic bias involving a theft. The fourth analyzes social perceptions of a man yelling at birds. The fifth discusses attitude formation through overcoming rejection and developing a hobby through mere exposure effect.

1. NAME: PE ZHI YONG
ID NUMBER: 0319765
SUBJECT: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
COURSE CODE:
TITLE: FIRST INDIVIDUAL JOURNAL

2. Journal 1
SETTINGS
This event was happened in the first day in Taylor’s University (4 Aug 2014)
Scene
The Orientation Ceremony, Lecture Theatre 20
Today, Professor Shankar teaches us about “The Chapter 1: Social Psychology”during
lecture class. In this chapter, social psychology is the exploration of the interaction of an
individual person and a given situation it remind me many thing repeated happened in last
semester. During my first day in Taylor’s University, Orientation day. In that day ,they have
an activities which every freshman have to introduce ourselves with more than thirty others
people in Lecture Hall 20.So , Availability of social influence were done when the process by
which one’s thoughts and actions are affected by others in that time. Everyone started
stand up and walking around in the lecture hall for introducing themselves to others.
After the activities, I was grouped into group with 20 people for some orientation activities
like eat bananas, I.Q. competition and so on. At that time, every group member work as
teamwork and I can make less of an effort when in a group than they would if they were
attempting to achieve the goal on their own and I can’t see my own effort was identified no
matter how much I have paid in those activities, which mean social loafing was shown in
that time too. It’s an amazing memory of first day in Taylor’s University.
(212 words)

3. Journal 2
Setting
This event is happened in tutorial class of Introduction to Drawing (2014)
Scene
Lecture Theatre 21
For this lesson, our lecturer brought us “Chapter 2: The Self: Who Am I and How Do Other
Individuals See Me?” which related to our mental representation or overall sense includes
the various beliefs we hold about ourselves. During the class, this reminded me that I have a
tutorial class in last semester. Tutors asked us to finish 3 drawings in the tutorial class or
not we were not allowed leave this class. During that time, we are forced to finish our work
and consult to our tutors about our drawing. Extrinsic motivation was formed as we
finished our work by using external pressure to avoid any punishment in that time. Also, it
makes me felt so nervous and tired after this 3 hours tutorial class.
During the tutorial class, I saw a lot of people have their different levels of drawing skill
and I was so worry that my drawing will be not approved by lecturer but I also saw some of
them drawing are worsen than me .So, I imagined that my drawing are better than those of
other people. In this situation, it showed that Unrealistic Optimism, the tendency to
imagine that our own outcomes are better than those of other people.Therefore,
downward social comparison also showed as I can enhance my self-esteemby feeling that I
am better than other people.

4. (225 words)
Journal 3
Setting
This event happened in the evening (2009)
Scene
A man dressed like a post man and driving motorcycle around residential area.
In this lesson, lecturer brought us “Chapter 3 Social Cognition: Thinking About the Social
World”.This reminded me a horrible scene happened in the past. When I was young, my
friend and I riding bicycles with my new mobile phone at residential area and we saw the
man driving a motorcycle with a small bag. During that time, we observed his physical
appearance first. It is natural for human beings to do so. It is shown that the man is wearing
a blue long sleeves and blue coloured long pants, which is similar to other post man. Thus,
heuristics made people assume that the man is post-man even though we did not ask him.
Availability heuristics were done when people analyse his clothing whereas representative
heuristics were applied when people think that he looks similar to those post man I had
met.
At first, he went towards my friend and I, tried to ask a home address. So, we tried to read
the address he showed without thinking whether he was a bad guys or not. Optimistic Bias
was presented as I did not believe that bad things happen to other people and that I am
more likely to experience positive events in life. Unfortunately, he was a snatch thief, he
snatched off my new mobile phone from my hand and runaway as fast as lightning by his
motorcycle. During that time, my friend and I was horrified and I cried with fear went back
home.my parent are so worry and they told me that “however he snatched your mobile

5. phone, but at least he did not hurt you”. As conclusion, upward counterfactual thinking was
formed when my parent said that to me.
(282 words)
Journal 4
Setting
This event happened in Asia café, SS15 (March ,2015)
Scene
A man keep talking and chasing at the birds in the cage and smoking outside the food court
In this lesson, lecturer brought us a new chapter which called as “Social Perception: How Do
We Perceive Others?” .This reminded me last Friday, my friends and I having breakfast at Asia
Café in the morning. Suddenly, a man who walked towards the bird cage and talking with the
birds in the cage outside the food court. Firstly, we observed his physical appearance. He
looks like a young colleague with a T – shirt and short pants. But we saw he taking an
extraordinary cigarettes on his hand During that situation, Dispositional attributions is
presented as we assumed that the cause of an action is due to the man internal
characteristics. We assumed that we was taking drugs last night for releasing his stress.
After a while, he started screaming at those birds in cage and chasing around the cage
suddenly. We shocked because we just took our seat beside the cage. So, we just leave our
seat immediately. In this moment, the correspondent inference theory was formed, the non-
common effect tends to indicate the true intent since it could not have been achieved by any
other potential course of action.

6. (189 words)
Journal 5
Setting
This event is happened in hometown in the evening (2003)
Scene
Riding bicycle is my hobby
Today, lecturer showed us the topic of “Attitude” in Chapter 5. The term “attitude” refers
to a tendency to evaluate a person, object, or idea with some degree of approval or
disapproval. This lesson reminded me when I was 7 years old, I did not know how to cycling.
Every time I went back to my hometown, my cousins having fun together with their own
bicycle, I was so lonely and tried to act as “sour grapes” when they request me for cycling.In
summary, Post-Decision Dissonance is caused at that time as I was rejected one appealing
choice in favour of another and devalue the option not selected.
After that, my cousin was willing to teach me how to cycling. After a long day practice, I
finally knew how to ride bicycle. During that time, I was so enjoyed to ride bicycle around
the neighbourhood with my cousin. After that day, my parent bought me a new BMX bicycle
and it became more which mean the mere exposure effect of classical conditioning is
presented .Now, cycling has become one of my hobby.
(183 words)