Reflection Paper On Controlled Thinking

This class has allowed me to become aware of certain experiences that I have experienced. Moreover, it allowed me to label to the schemas that I have created. In addition, it has also related to other psychology courses as well as past thoughts and reflections. Some of the concepts that I have connect with are the social cognition, group processes, and social influence. These topics are some of the topics that I was able to reflect on the most. To begin, social cognition is the way we interpret and experience the social world. In particular, to social cognition, I want to focus on controlled thinking. One of the courses that I am currently taking is Positive Psychology and in that class we went over the concept of flow. Some of my thoughts that I had when I was learning about both topics was how both were similar. To clarify, controlled thinking is conscious, intentional, voluntary thinking (p. 65).

I started using social networking sites when most of my friends had already gotten one and they were asking me to create a Facebook account. In a way I was conforming to the rising popularity of Facebook, though at the time I did not notice that I was being influenced by my friends to create a social network. Though until recently when I created an Instagram and a Snapchat, was when I realized how much of a social norm it was to have multiple social media networks. Normative social influence is when you conform through the influence of other people to be liked or acceptance (p. 206). Moreover, this occurred for me in in regards to later getting an Instagram because of so many people having one, and I wanted to also be in that group. This to me was more of a private compliance because I genuinely wanted to create an Instagram so I can have as many “followers” as my friend. Yet it was a self-justification for actually wanting to follow the social