Write 3–4 pages in which you apply theories and concepts from social psychology
Write 3–4 pages in which you apply theories and concepts from social psychology, behavioral ethics, and critical thinking to a case study you choose. Focus on a theory related to the self or self-regulation.Social psychology can help you understand the world around you and answer questions about why people behave the way they do. Why is it so hard to take a chance and go back to school? Why do people start smoking when they know it’s bad for them? Why do protests turn violent at times? Being able to apply social psychological theory to personal and professional situations as well as to current events is a skill you need in order to take steps toward that understanding. For this assessment, we will focus on theories dealing with culture and nature and the self.SHOW MORE
RESOURCES
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Duplex Mind
Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2017). Social psychology and human nature (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
Chapter 2, “Culture and Nature,” pages 32–65, contains information about how human social behavior results from a mixture of nature and culture. You will also find information about the duplex mind theory, which is one of the theories you can choose from for your assessment.
Haggar, M. S. (2013). The multiple pathways by which self-control predicts behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 4(13). Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.
You can use this article to support your arguments if you choose duplex mind to apply to your case study.
Self-Serving Bias
Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2017). Social psychology and human nature (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
Chapter 3, “The Self,” pages 66–111, contains information about how self-concept, self-esteem, and self-presentation fit into the context of social psychology. You will also find information about the concept of self-serving bias, which is one of the theories you can choose from for your assessment.
Sanjuan, P., & Magallares, A. (2014). Coping strategies as mediating variables between self-serving attributional bias and subjective well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(2), 442–453.
You can use this article to support your arguments if you choose self-serving bias to apply to your case study.
Self-Regulation
Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2017). Social psychology and human nature (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
Chapter 4, “Choices and Actions: The Self in Control,” pages 112–145, contains information about how we are able to deliberately control our behavior. You will also find information about the concept of self-regulation, which is one of the theories you can choose from for your assessment.
Critcher, C. R., & Ferguson, M. J. (2016). “Whether I like it or not, it’s important”: Implicit importance of means predicts self-regulatory persistence and success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 110(6), 818–839.
You can use this article to support your arguments if you choose self-regulation to apply to your case study.
BEHAVIORAL ETHICS
These resources, courtesy of Ethics Unwrapped, The University of Texas at Austin, provide you with the basic concepts involved in behavioral ethics:
The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Ethics defined: Behavioral ethics. Retrieved from https://ethicsunwrapped.
Behavioral ethics is the study of why people make the ethical and unethical decisions that they do. Its teachings arise from research in fields such as behavioral psychology, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology.
The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Concepts unwrapped: Introduction to behavioral ethics. Retrieved from https://ethicsunwrapped.
This resource investigates why people make the ethical (and unethical) decisions that they do in order to gain insights into how people can improve their ethical decision-making and behavior.
For your assessment, you will choose to apply one of the following concepts, loss aversion or incrementalism, to a case study:
The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Concepts unwrapped: Loss aversion. Retrieved from https://ethicsunwrapped.
We hate losses about twice as much as we enjoy gains, meaning we are more likely to act unethically to avoid a loss than to secure a gain. This phenomenon is known as loss aversion.
The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Ethics defined: Incrementalism. Retrieved from https://ethicsunwrapped.
Incrementalism is the slippery slope that often causes people to slide unintentionally into unethical behavior. It can happen when people cut small corners that become bigger over time.
CRITICAL THINKING
Critical thinkers routinely apply intellectual standards to the elements of reasoning in order to develop intellectual traits. These resources introduce you to critical thinking using the model developed by Paul and Elder:
Meegan, G. (n.d.). What is critical thinking? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://
This resource describes the basics of critical thinking.
Qualities of Thinking: Evaluative Stage.
This resource provides a concise overview with links to further resources.
University of Louisville. (n.d.). Paul-Elder critical thinking framework. Retrieved from http://louisville.edu/
This resource provides a good summary with a graphic to show how standards, elements, and traits work together.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2013). Critical thinking: Intellectual standards essential to reasoning well within every domain of human thought, part 2 [PDF]. Journal of Developmental Education, 37(1), 32–36.
This journal article provides a strong description of the standards.
For your assessment, you will choose to apply one of the following concepts, clarity or egocentric thinking, to a case study:
Meegan, G. (n.d.). The intellectual standards [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://
This resource provides a description of the nine intellectual standards we use to assess thinking, which includes clarity.
Qualities of the Thinker: Egocentric Thinking.
This resource provides a brief overview of the concept of egocentric thinking.
Westside Toastmasters. (n.d.). Chapter 10: Taking charge of your irrational tendencies. Retrieved from https://
This resource provides a more in-depth explanation of egocentric thinking.
LIBRARY RESEARCH GUIDE
You will need to find other resources to prepare for this assessment, and you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The Introduction to Social Psychology Library Guide can help direct your research.
ASSSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS
PREPARATION
Access the Self and Self-Control Case Studies multimedia to choose which case study you want to focus on and the social psychology theory, behavioral ethics concept, and critical thinking concept you have identified as being embedded in your case study.
Use the Capella library to find two scholarly journal articles related to the social psychology theory you chose. You may choose to use one of the following articles as one of the two you are required to use:
Duplex Mind: Haggar, M. S. (2013). The multiple pathways by which self-control predicts behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 4(13). Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.
Self-Serving Bias: Sanjuan, P., & Magallares, A. (2014). Coping strategies as mediating variables between self-serving attributional bias and subjective well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(2), 442–453.
Self-Regulation: Critcher, C. R., & Ferguson, M. J. (2016). “Whether I like it or not, it’s important”: Implicit importance of means predicts self-regulatory persistence and success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 110(6), 818–839.
Review the Self and Self-Control Template [DOCX] you will use to write your paper.
Review the Exemplar Paper [DOCX] and the Exemplar Case Study [DOCX] to better understand the expectations for this assessment.
INSTRUCTIONS
In your paper, include the following:
Summarize the case study.
Describe credible and scholarly sources, relevant to a particular theory.
Apply a social psychological theory to a chosen case study.
Explain how social psychological research studies relate to a particular social psychological theory.
Apply an ethical reasoning concept to a chosen case study.
Apply a critical thinking concept to a chosen case study.
Review the key points.
Demonstrate an academic writing style through well-organized prose that follows assessment guidelines.
Demonstrate compliance with APA style, citation, and referencing guidelines.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Written communication: Should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style guidelines.
Resources: Minimum of 2 scholarly or professional resources.
Length: 3–4 double-spaced pages, in addition to the title page and reference page.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Template: Use the Self and Self-Control Template [DOCX] and include the headings and subheadings as shown in the template to organize your writing. The template is already formatted for 6th edition APA style with title and reference pages, headings and subheadings, in 12-point Times New Roman font, and double-spaced with one inch margins.
Answer preview Write 3–4 pages in which you apply theories and concepts from social psychology
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