ESSAY : Discussion Board in Social Perception

Within the Discussion Board area, write 300–500 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments.
This will be the foundation for future discussions with your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

In 1962, a classic social psychology experiment was completed by Schachter and Singer. In the study, the researchers injected participants with a drug known to increase physiological arousal (increased heart rate, blood pressure, and energy). Only half of the participants were told about the drug’s effects in advance. The participants were then divided into two groups. The first group of participants was placed in a waiting room with nonstudy individuals who acted excitedly happy. The second group of participants was placed in a waiting room with nonstudy individuals who acted irritable. Interestingly, those participants who were not told about the drug’s effects beforehand responded to the drug in the same manner as the nonstudy individuals with whom they shared a waiting room. Participants waiting with happy individuals became happy, while participants waiting with irritable individuals became irritated (Schachter & Singer, 1962).

The Schachter and Singer study is believed to be evidence in support of Daryl J. Bem’s Self-Perception Theory. Bem’s theory suggests that when a person is experiencing vague or unknown internal stimuli (such as the increased heart rate and blood pressure mentioned in the study above), that person will then look outside him- or herself to clues within the environment. These external clues are then used to make an interpretation about how the person should feel or behave (Bem, 1972).

Describe a situation from your own life or a situation you observed in which you or others responded primarily because of the behaviors, attitudes, or feelings of those around you.

Describe the situation in detail.

If you are using an example from your own experience, describe the internal stimuli that you were experiencing.
Describe the signals that you picked up on from the other people within your environment.

Looking back now, do you think that your interpretation of the situation could have changed if you had experienced a different environment at that time?

Can you think of certain situations where this theory is more likely to occur?

How might you apply your knowledge of this theory to the workplace?

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Instructor\’s Comments:

For your second discussion board assignment, you will examine a situation in which your feelings, thoughts, or behaviors were influenced by those around you or the situation you were in. I shared a few additional resources for you to review to get some more background on the two studies by Schachter & Singer and Daryl Bem in the Discussion Board. Take a look at them before you get started.
The ideal post will describe a situation in which you or another person based a reaction on the behaviors, attitudes, or feelings of those around you. In your example, consider what were you feeling physically and emotionally at the time. Note that this theory applies in situations in which your initial feelings are unclear, as in you\’re not quite sure why you\’re feeling as you do. You can also discuss a situation that you observed rather than one you personally experienced. Some examples might include being asked to attend an unexpected meeting at work or observing the reaction of a child who looks to his or her parents to determine if they are hurt enough to cry after falling. We’ll discuss a number of other examples in the live chat this week.
You are also asked, “Looking back now, do you think that your interpretation of the situation could have changed if you had experienced a different environment at that time?” According to Bem\’s theory, we interpret ambiguous feelings/behaviors by looking to our behavior and those around us. So if you were in a different situation, you might respond differently.

You should also generate some ideas about situations in which self-perception theory is likely to occur. In what types of situations are you more likely to look to others or the environment to understand why you are thinking or acting the way you are? For example, any event that provokes arousing internal stimuli coupled with ambiguity (lack of clarity) about the cause would elicit the process of self-perception theory.

Finally, discuss some ways in which your knowledge about this theory can apply to the workplace. You might mention the need to provide employees with important information so they interpret internal and external cues correctly. Another example might be the importance of employee morale in maintaining a positive work environment.

For example, have you ever found yourself able to influence your coworkers’ moods or attitudes in a positive way?

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Discussion Board in Social Perception
Self-perception theory can be defined as the process through which people that do not have their initial or emotional responses only develop them through observing their individual behavior which informs conclusions on what are the attitudes that may have driven such kind of behavior (Martin & Nakayama, 2013). It is counterintuitive theory which explains that we are what we do. This essay seeks to analyze one case example showing the self-perception theory.
Describe The Situation in Detail
The example I am going to give is rather personal. I am a father to an 18 and 4-year-old sons. However, my marriage life has had challenges and am contemplating divorce. My desire for divorce has been informed by a self believe that my wife doesn’t…