Psychological Portfolio Concepts - Essay Example

Porfolio-Psychology Chapter 6 Concept-Obedience Obedience is considered part of the societal moral fabric where individuals ought to subscribe to established norms and set rules. Through obedience human behavior becomes somewhat predictable. The simplest yet most precise definition of obedience is acting in accord with a direct order or command. A person cannot arbitrarily be assumed to obey if there lacks an established framework of rules or a precise command that lays expectations on how individuals should actually behave. In most cases, disobedience will have certain repercussions on the individual this may constitute either an explicit punishment or grounding of some sorts. Irrespective of the preferred retribution this must be administered to act as an incentive for individuals to obey. Therefore, most people will obey not because they are morally upright or have the right values but because they are deterred by the consequences of disobedience. There are very many real life instances or situations that address this concept. This study chooses to study the concept based on a published cartoon that addresses the plight of pets. On one hand, there are human beings on the other hand there are pets, puppies to be precise. The concern for the puppies is that uncontrolled reproduction has led to a global strain where most pets die of starvation. In other cases, the pet population is unable to find favorable treatment as their numbers grow beyond what the human population can handle. The idea brought forth by the pets is that human beings should consider spaying pets to control reproduction. However, the human population is against this citing that children are entitled to experience the propagation of pets. Besides, human beings cite that spaying is expensive. In overall, every one appears to further their ideas which beg the question on who is supposed to obey who? The answer is not as clear, however, it is clear that both humans and pets have rights which should be observed. Human beings should ascribe to the rules on proper care and fair treatment of pets which brings up the concept of obedience to the law. This would highlight the need to manage the pet population to that which can be comfortably handled by the human population. By doing that, ideas such as spaying would not appear as expensive but should be considered a means of facilitating obedience and thus avoiding contravention of the established law. Concept-Compliance On the surface, the concept of compliance almost appears synonymous with the concept of obedience. This somewhat underlines the close relation between the two concepts however, there is a distinct difference. Compliance is considered public action in line with an implied or explicit request while privately disagreeing (Scanned Source 188). In this case, this differs with obedience as it implies “obedience on the surface” this is where individuals only ascribe to the implied or explicit rules or laws to avoid punishment but completely disagree with the actions prompted by these requests or rules. Compliance is a common behavior in cases where individuals find laws or rules as infringing on rights or freedoms they feel entitled to. The concept of compliance is largely represented in people’s actions to obey by laws such as those passed by local councils or traffic departments. These institutions seek to seal loop holes present under the overall laws or rights of individuals for instance they seek to control an individual’s rights to freedom by restricting access to certain areas. In this case, an individual may feel it is their right to visit certain sites, however due to ongoing maintenance or construction they may be restricted to visit the area for their own safety. Such restrictions prompt compliance as there are repercussions but individuals still disagree with the restraining order. To illustrate this concept we look at the cartoon on ‘economical solutions for the hands-free phone law’. The hands-free phone law is put in place to discourage use of mobile phones while driving. The cartoon demonstrates the various ways which individuals employ to circumvent the law, in the first instance the driver is seen to use a bandage to hold the phone in place, in the second case the driver hangs the phone like a pendulum, in the third case the driver asks the passenger to hold the phone for then and in the last case the driver has a decoy inform of a sandwich. These actions demonstrate private disagreement with the law as drivers feel it is their right to use mobile phones all the same they are aware of the repercussions. This is a perfect example of compliance where individuals observes explicit rules but privately look for a means to break the very rules as a way of private discord. Chapter 7 Concept-Persuasive elements Persuasive elements represent a means through which individuals get others to comply or ascribe to their beliefs or tendencies. Persuasive elements are a means to persuasion where individuals who have mastered the use of these elements employ them to their advantage. Their employment is largely seen in recruitment of individuals into cults where the recruits get so much embroiled in the cult activities that they lose their own identity. There are generally three persuasive elements, the communicator, the message and the audience. The first element is the communicator, this is the person who is assumes leadership and is often very charismatic. The leader gives instructions and does it so well such that disdain or discord is unlikely. As noted within the text, a credible communicator is someone who the audience considers as an expert in their specific field and commands respect and trust from the followers. The message, this is the information that the communicator seeks to put across to individuals or followers. In most cases, or in all of the cult recruitment cases the message is that of hope and the communicator seeks to paint the picture of a safe, loving and caring environment. The warmth represented by the communicator makes it hard for individuals to say no and thus slowly become trapped in the web. Lastly, there is the audience, often, the audience is selectively chosen. It often represents individuals who have a strong resentment towards something or individuals who are at a turning point in their lives (Scanned Source 255). These are vulnerable and are in a position to agree or are swayed to believe that what they think is actually it or their emotions can be exploited in the guise of friendship, warmth or care. There exist several representations of this concept; one of the most potent is he discussion on persuasion found in the about.com site. The article notes that most individuals consider persuasion on a negative note, as directed to negatively influence people. It also notes the most common means of persuasion as represented in media and politics. However, as the article discusses persuasion can be either negative or positive. An example of positive persuasion is an advertisement that tries to get people to quit drinking or smoking. In essence, the article demonstrates that persuasion carries four elements; one is that it has to be symbolic, it has to be deliberate, it has to have an aspect of self-persuasion and it must be transmitted in an acceptable means such as word of mouth, internet or television. Concept-Attitudes follow behavior The concept of attitudes follow behavior seeks to illustrate that people will normally internalize commitments made voluntarily, publicly and continually. There are certain key elements leading to formation of behavior, one of the elements is compliance. Compliance as the text notes leads to acceptance this is where individuals who seek to follow set out rules or guidelines, even in silent disagreement, sooner or later accept the rules as part and parcel of their lives. Through acceptance they become part and parcel of the underlying activities and they become active participants (Scanned Source 253). It is through active participation that behavior is formed and people find it as normal to participate in certain activities established by the cult or grouping in which they share. Often, by ensuring compliance those in charge slowly seek to culture behavior to correspond with that of those other individuals who are already part of the grouping. Through cultured behavior people register improved or favorable attitude towards the group’s activities and this is where active membership starts. To further delve into the discussion of this concept we borrow from Dr. Amy’s thoughts, a psychologist by profession, in her blog posting titled Attitudes follow behavior. She defines attitudes as mental judgments that make us want to behave in a certain way towards individuals, things or occurrences. These reactions can lead to either positive or negative attitudes. In Amy’s discussion she seeks to discuss the recurrent question on what precedes, is it behavior or attitude. She notes that the answer can be best generated by looking at a practical scenario, in this case she poses when one want to change a person what would be the first target behavior or attitude. To this she notes that it is actually simpler to adapt behavior than it is to change attitude. However, the most important thing is being consistent in adapting behavior as a means of changing ones attitude. In her discussion she extensively quotes the cognitive dissonance theory which notes that we tend to limit discomfort (dissonance) when we are of the feeling that our thoughts (cognition) are not in line. An example is when our attitudes and our awareness are not in course with our actions in such situations people will address their discomfort by altering their attitudes. Lastly, she notes that an individual’s attitudes dictate their actions and in turn action determines the results. Chapter 9 Social identity Social identity is defined as ‘the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships’ (Scanned Source 326). Social identity represents aspects of our social groups that we find relevant in defining ourselves or congruent with our perceptions. Social identity seeks to explain that our perception of who we are not only represents our personal identity but also a social identity (Scanned Source 326). The social identity theory developed by Henri Tajfel attempts to bring this reality into perspective. Tajfel notes that as part of our social identity we categorize, this is where we attempt to cluster people into groups or categories such as being African or Hindu. Secondly, we identify, this is where we link ourselves with particular groups and this actually boosts our self esteem. Lastly, we compare this is where we contrast between groups with a clear bias towards our groups (Scanned Source 327). Thus being part of a social group is considered a means of reassurance and actually helps in cultivating self-esteem. It is as a result of this that we have cases of disadvantaged youths finding comfort, power and security in criminal gangs. There are different levels of social identity, however, as the line between personal identity and social identities blurs individuals become more interconnected and are prepared to suffer or die for their group. In discussion of social identity we borrow from the observations of Noraald in his article Beyond the social identity…virtually. In the article, the author seeks to look at the challenges of maintaining ones identity in the face of growing influences from contemporary phenomenon such as technological development, cultural integration and immigration. In particular, the author focuses on the role of the internet which has enabled us to choose the kind of material or information we would like to read or the groups we would like to participate. This capacity to choose represents our ability to actively choose the identity we would like to present. In light of unrestricted access to internet, the cyber space has become a very important aspect of identity formation what the authors call virtual identity. In essence, the ease with which we access information on those people we would like to look like or become has accelerated the formation of our virtual identity. This has defined others perception of us as most people put so much thought into the person they shape as they make postings in the internet. Such extended thought and long exposure to the internet has defined our identities. Prejudice There are quite a number of definitions that seek to explain the exact meaning of prejudice, however, none seems to encompass aspects highlighted by Brown (2010), he defines prejudice as ‘any attitude, emotion or behavior towards members of a group, which directly or indirectly implies some negativity or antipathy toward that group’ (7). Scanned Source notes motivations as a key factor in prejudices, she notes that motivations often lead individuals to be prejudiced but are also a main reason why people avoid prejudice. As a concept, prejudice is least recognized by those individuals who bear it as it is often represented as a knee-jerk reaction to situations, events or individuals. This is also apparent in the fact that to most people prejudice is an unconscious feeling. It is common to find people who would publicly declare support or are not opposed to gays but will feel weird or uncomfortable sharing a table with a gay person. Doug Elliot in his article Overcoming Prejudices published in the Los Angeles Times notes that prejudices are in most cases the underlying causes of crime. Being a chaplain in the Los Angeles County Jail Unit for Gays, Elliot notes that curbing crime would only be successful if behaviors that cause it are addressed. In this article, Elliot observes that letting prejudices determine action has cultivated a culture in which the systems tolerate ignorance and fear that has resulted to hand and inconsiderateness towards others. As a result, he considers prejudice a result of ignorance and fear and thus a factor that has led to the propagation of extreme cases of anti-social and vicious behavior. Chapter 10 Genetic influences Genetic influences consist of cues carried through a person’s genes and are exhibited through certain behaviors or temperaments. By utilizing contemporary information on genetics and adopting modern technology one can easily replicate certain features or cues on a new creation. As Scanned Sources notes heredity influences the neural system’s sensitivity (353). It is this knowledge that has allowed selective breeding where animals can be bred to exhibit certain desirable traits such as aggression. The study of genetics and thence of genetic influences has helped trace certain tendencies in people who bear genetic semblance. For instance, genetic studies have been adopted to explain criminal tendencies. In a host of these studies, it has been discovered that siblings who bear strong genetic semblance such as identical twins are more likely to get involved if one is already an active criminal. This likelihood decreases as the genetic composition reduces such as the case with adapted siblings; these studies have suggested a strong genetic component and a more modest environmental influence (Scanned Source 357). Genetic sensitivity is also affected by biochemical influences this is possible by altering neural sensitivity. The most notable chemicals that are seen to alter neural sensitivity are alcohol which unleashes aggression especially when taken in large quantities. The other chemical effects result from testosterone which is a hormone that is highly linked to the levels of aggression. Increased testosterone secretion is likely to lead to aggressive behavior and vice versa. In trying to further understand this concept we look at the study by Agustin Fuentes titled Is aggression genetic. In this study, Fuentes examines common beliefs about aggression and tries to weigh these against available empirical evidence. One of the statements he seeks to address is the assumption that humans are naturally violent and bear an evil core. Through a series of empirical quotations he dispels this belief as a myth. In pursuance of the topic he also studies the role of testosterone in human aggression. He concludes that there is no clear evidence that the hormone facilitates and heightens aggression. However, he notes that testosterone has a link with increased efficiency and muscular activity which are linked to aggressive behavior. Media influences: television and the internet In the age of increased media coverage and existence of myriad media forms the influence of these elements on human population has been under much scrutiny. In the field of psychology there has been numerous studies conducted with an aim of determining whether exposure to aggressive programs can actually lead to exhibition of similar traits. As Scanned Sources notes, this has been proven to be true as watching an aggressive model attack a Bobo doll can unleash children’s aggressive urges and acquaint them with novel ways to aggress (373). It is highly hypothesized that constant exposure to certain forms of aggression or violence for prolonged period actually remodels social behavior. The biggest effect of this remodeling happens in children who are yet to develop a refined sense of what is right or wrong. This means that they are able to take in what is watched as a fundamental reality of life. Similarly, in adults media is seen to have significant influence in their perception of certain acts as good, acceptable or evil. It has been proven that continuous exposure to pornography in the internet can soften ones view on promiscuity and they may start looking at it as acceptable rather that an evil or unacceptable social practice (Meyer 374). This concept is brought into perspective and figuratively represented by Ian Patrick Smith in his article Media Influence: stop it or use it. Smith identifies that media has tremendous potential to impact our lives and alter our perceptions. Under the article, he borrows from established researchers who have researched on specific subjects such as aggression, influence on body image and influence on misconceptions. He cites that media is seen to influence each of these realms to which he notes that media is clearly a powerful tool that can be employed to influence variant behaviors. He figuratively represents media literally feeding a man which is symbolic of what media actually does to the modern population. Given this level of influence he notes that people can actually use media to further positive ends or all the same stop using it as it is bound to influence irrespective of the underlying message. Works Cited Amy, Dr. Attitudes Follow Behavior . 27 October 2010. 4 December 2013 . Brown, Rupert. Prejudice: Its Social Psychology. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print. Cherry, Kenda. What is persuasion? 2013. 4 December 2013 . Elliott, Doug. Overcoming prejudices. 15 February 1991. 4 December 2013 . Fuentes, Augustin. Is agression genetic. 29 March 2012. 4 December 2013 . noraald. Beyond the social identity…virtually . 18 November 2013. 4 December 2013 . SMITH, IAN PATRICK. Media Influence: stop it or use it. 7 March 2013. 2 December 2013 . Read More