Item 1
Recall a specific situation when you
said or did something you believed was out of character.
Address the following in your Item 1 written
response: (4-5 paragraphs)
·
Describe
a specific situation when you said or did something that conflicted with your
beliefs or was out of character.
·
Explain
what you would attribute that behavior to that did not reflect your sense of
self.
·
Explain
what compelled you to say or do something that misrepresented your true self
Be sure to support your analyses with specific
references to the social psychology theory and research
Item 2
Consider how people present themselves
on social media and the influence this may have on how people use
introspection, self-observation, and other people’s reactions to know
themselves. Also consider how reliance on social media for meaningful
connection affects a person’s confidence when meeting new people.
Address the following in your Item 2
written response: (5 paragraphs)
Explain the
implications that pressure of presenting an ideal self on social media
have in terms of how people use introspection, self-observation, and other
people’s reactions to know themselves.
If relying
on social media for social connection fails to provide useful information
for developing an authentic self, then explain how confident a person might
be when meeting new people face-to-face.
Explain
what information you might need about how others perceive you but do not
get when relying on social media for social connection.
Be sure to support your analyses
with specific references to the social psychology theory and research.
For Item 3, Item 4, and Item 6, consider psychology at work
in the judicial system from the perspective of a juror and an attorney.
Item 3
Apply
how schemas can affect jurors and the process by which they are selected, from the
perspective of a juror. Consider
the following scenario:
Imagine you are a juror. Exactly how do
opening statements and closing arguments function as schemas? In particular,
what impact would opening statements have on how you, as a juror, would
interpret evidence proffered at trial?
Address the following in your Item 3 written
response: (4 paragraphs)
·
Explain
how your preconceptions (i.e., your schema) might supersede the schema (i.e.,
theory) of the case as presented by attorneys for the state and for the
defendant during opening statements.
·
Explain
how the strength of your preconceptions cause you to reject the attorneys’
attempt to provide a schema for the case.
Be sure to support your analyses with specific references to
the social psychology theory and research.
Item 4
Apply how schemas
can affect jurors and the process by which they are selected, from the perspective
of an attorney. Consider the following scenario:
During jury selection, attorneys for the
prosecution and defense question prospective jurors to determine who may already
have decided the defendant’s guilt or innocence before hearing the attorneys
present the case. As an attorney, it is your job to expose and then counter
juror preconceptions that may make them resistant to your schema for the case.
Address the following in your Item 4 written
response: (2-3 paragraphs)
·
Explain
the strategy you might use to persuade the resistant juror to set aside her or
his preconceptions and consider what you have to say.
Be sure to support your analyses with specific references to
the social psychology theory and research.
Item 5
Consider a time
when you met a new acquaintance for the first time.
Address
the following in your Item 5 written response: (4-5 paragraphs)
·
Describe
how your expectations might influence your behavior toward a new acquaintance.
·
Explain
whether self-fulfilling prophecy made it more likely the new acquaintance would
be just the kind of person you had expected him or her to be.
·
Explain
the implications of the self-fulfilling prophecy for your own education,
career(s), and relationships.
Be sure to support your analyses with specific
references to the social psychology theory and research
Item 6
Apply
how attribution errors can affect jurors and the process by which they are
selected. Consider the following scenario:
Imagine that you have been summoned for jury duty in the United States.
If you are selected to be on the jury, you will be hearing a rape case where a
23-year-old female alleges sexual assault. In order to select the jury (a
process known by the Latin term voir dire), both the prosecutor and defense
attorney question the jury pool to identify and dismiss for cause people who
have strong opinions about the subject matter, who already know about the case,
or who may be biased for or against either party to the trial. Attorneys may
also dismiss members of the jury pool who they think will not be favorable to
their case. These types of dismissals are called peremptory challenges and the
attorneys have a limited number of them.
During
the process of jury selection, you notice the prosecutors are using their
limited peremptory challenges to dismiss most of the young women from the jury
pool. You find this peculiar, given that young women would seem to be most
favorable to the prosecution’s case.
Address
the following in your Item 6 written response: (3-4 paragraphs)
·
Explain
why the prosecutor was reluctant to seat young women on the jury.
·
Provide
a detailed explanation for this seemingly odd behavior.
Be
sure to support your analyses with specific references to the social psychology
theory and research.
Item 7
Consider the
following scenario:
As her New Year’s
resolution, Julie decided it was finally time she got in shape. Years ago, she
ran regularly, but more recently, work and family have dominated her time.
Julie still thought running was her best option; she lived in Florida with its
year-round good weather and the only financial investment was a good pair of
running shoes and the right clothes. Having finally made this decision, Julie
was very excited. She bought new shoes, running shorts, and performance tops,
making her commitment to running even stronger. She designed a realistic
running regimen she was certain she could follow. Day 1 came and, dressed in
her new gear, Julie started down her street; the plan was to run to the nearby
park about one mile away. She did not want to push it on the first day; after
all, it had been years since she had run. When she had run a little less than a
block, she was gasping for air, forcing her to stop. Her lungs were on fire,
she was dizzy and nauseous. What Julie failed to consider was the effect her
pack-a-day cigarette smoking habit seemed to have on her plan.
Conflicted, Julie knew
something had to change. She fancied herself a runner who liked smoking
cigarettes; unfortunately, running and smoking were incompatible. Would her
desire for cigarettes convince her that getting in shape was not all that
important? Or, would her desire to get in shape convince her that smoking was
counterproductive to her goals?
Address
the following in your Item 7 written response: (4-5 paragraphs)
·
Describe
the theory of attitude change that best explains Julie’s dilemma.
·
Based
on the theory of attitude change, explain whether Julie would be more likely to
change her attitude or her behavior.
Be sure to support your analyses with specific references to
the social psychology theory and research.
