As discussed earlier, our participants will be randomly assigned into a ‘health goal’ condition. The participants in this condition will be primed with a health goal. “Priming” and its effects have been thoroughly studied in social psychology. As Bargh , Chen and Burrows argue (1996:230) , ‘priming refers to the incidental activation of knowledge structures, such as trait concepts and stereotypes , by the current situational context.’ This activation of knowledge structures shapes the behaviour of people (Bargh et al. 1996 ; Bargh et al 2001). For example , the automatic activation of a trait concept can affect the behaviour of a person in such a way that his behavioural acts are more in line with this activated trait ; participants in whom the concept of rudeness had been activated , interrupted a conversation , between other people , more (Bargh et al. 1996). It is important to mention that these effects of priming are passive and automatic (Bargh et al.1996) . As Fitzsimons , Chartrand and Fitzsimons (2008:22) …show more content…
2001 ; Fitzsimons and Bargh 2003 ; Shah 2003 ). Aware of the fact that goals are , as trait concepts and stereotypes , mental constructs ; it has been shown that these constructs of goals in our knowledge structure can become activated in a nonconscious way by environmental stimuli and , just as consciously set goals , guide a person’s goal-relevant behaviour (Bargh et al. 2001 ; Bargh 1990 ; Fitzsimons and Bargh 2003). Fitzsimons and Bargh (2003) managed to show that this nonconscious activation of goals also applies in day-to-day , ordinary life. They showed that relationship partners can also be considered as environmental cues to activate goals in people’s minds. As shown by many of the previously mentioned studies , these priming effects also happen when the stimulus is presented subliminally (e.g. Shah
Social psychology is a scientific study that studies how people think, feel, and how they behave under the influence of other people (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2013, p. 2). Thinking about what social influence really means, we tend to think of a person who tries to persuade another person to acting a certain way. It can be a form of peer pressure, like taking that first puff of a cigarette, or it can be conforming to popular societal views, such as obeying the law of the land. Fiction is a great way to learn about social psychological perspectives. Watching popular theatrical films is the perfect way to learn because it illustrates the application of many perceptions within the subject of social psychology.
Humans are complex beings. We have different motivations, goals, and aspirations, but what influences us to have these goals? What motivates us to strive for them? Daniel Gilbert, in his essay “Immune to Reality” states we have unconscious processes that influence our behaviors, and also that we heavily rely on acceptance from others. The social pressures we experience on a day-to-day basis are what influence us to change and adapt.
There are some human phenomena, which seem to be the result of individual actions and personal decisions. Yet, these phenomena are often - on closer inspection – as much a result of social factors as of psychological ones.
Persuasion is an art that we meet in all spheres of life; academia, social, political, etc. It has positive and negative outcomes. When one communicates, it is of extreme importance that an awareness of the Principles of Persuasion is utmost in their preparation if they are to make a lasting impression. This paper will attempt to define and analyze the six principles and show them in application.
In Study 2, high-prejudice participants formed a more negative and less positive impression of the target person after subliminal priming of the category Blacks than did participants in the no-prime condition. Low-prejudice people tended in the opposite direction. (Lepore & Brown, 1997). In Study 3, both high- and low-prejudice people increased negative ratings when valenced stereotype content was also primed. (Lepore & Brown, 1997). The general aim of these three studies by Lepore & Brown, was to assess the possible flexibility among categorization, stereotyping and prejudice.
It indicated that people will carry out a health-related action if they have the perception
Goal congruence is needed as it ensures that a person’s goals are in line w...
Gall, S. B., Beins, B., & Feldman, A. (2001). The gale encyclopedia of psychology. (2nd ed., pp. 271-273). Detroit, MI: Gale Group.
The psychologist B. F Skinner believed that “changes in behavior are the result of an individual’s response to events (stimuli) that occur in the environment” (All About Operant Conditioning, 2006, Para 2). The following paper will discuss a learning situation in which an exercise routine is thought. The paper will evaluate the application of instrumental conditioning to this learning situation. As part of the analysis the learning situation will be described, the paper will compare and contrast the concepts of positive and negative reinforcement as related to learning situation, and explain the role of reward and punishment in learning an exercise routine. Finally, the paper will explain which form of instrumental conditioning would be most effective in teaching someone an exercise routine. Instrumental conditioning is the learning procedure that believes that “the organism must act in a certain way before it is reinforced; that is, reinforcement is contingent on the organism’s behavior” (Hergenhahn & Olson, 2005, pg 23). The major contributors of Instrumental conditioning are B.F Skinner, John Watson, and Edward Thorndike. These three theorists believed that “learning is the result of the application of consequences; that is, learners begin to connect certain responses with certain stimuli” (Huitt & Hummel, 1997, Para 1). In society the behaviors individuals manifest are learned behaviors which are learned through some form of conditioning.
Every day, individuals are being influenced by the stimuli around them. Most of the time, they are not even aware that this is happening. Things seen, heard and experienced all come together to form an individual 's own idea about the world around them. This unconscious activation that predisposes individuals to certain responses and choices is called priming. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine if priming has an effect on consumer behavior and for the purpose of furthering the understanding the underlying effects of environmental primes on behavior. These studies have since exposed a cascade of priming effects on behavior.
... middle of paper ... ... Journal of Applied Psychology 92 (2007): 1332–356. Print. The.
Many individuals, especially psychologist, question how can they describe a person’s personality using theories in order for society to have an understanding of why people behave the way they do. There have been many debates in regards to this question. Some psychologists state that genetics is one of the main factors why people react a certain way, depending on the circumstance. However, other researchers indicate that the environment plays an enormous role on the individual. Although both of these predictions might be accurate, one will not fully understand unless there is more information linked to their arguments. According to trait theories in the book of Psychology, there are multiple theories that explain different types of possibilities to these behaviors, two of them are called Trait Theory and Social-Cognitive Theory.
Social cognitive theory is the study on how an individual stores, processes, and applies information about others in their everyday life. It was first known as the “Social Learning Theory”, and was later changed to the term known today as the “Social Cognitive Theory”. The definition of social cognition is defined as any cognitive process that involves one or more than one person. While the definition of cognition is unconscious process in the brain that bring about representations. Social cognition purpose is to study social knowledge, social structure, group behavior, social influences, social categories (age, race, sex) defines a person. (Science Direct) Social cognition is thought to be the outcome of social interactions. One will learn by observing others, this is known as vicarious learning. For example, one is more likely to follow another’s behavior if they can identify with them, whether it be personality wise, age proximity, and more. (Verywell)
There are two kinds of people in the world; the ones that believe that the consequences of an action outweigh the importance of intention, and those that feel that intentions are all that matter. Consequences are measurable outcomes that are a direct result of our actions. Intentions are the thoughts behind a person’s actions. They are the reason that a person chooses to do something. Consequences and intentions both correlate with action. Intention comes before the action itself, and consequences are yielded once the action is complete. In general consequences are thought of as negative, while intentions are typically considered in a positive sense. However, this paper will explain why consequences are more important to consider than one’s
Edited by Raymond J. Corsini. Encyclopedia of Psychology, Second Edition, Volume 1. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.