“Seinfeld,” often referred to as a show about nothing, transcends its comedic roots by embedding profound social psychology lessons into its narrative. In the famous series finale, Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer are arrested under the “Good Samaritan Law” for not aiding a carjacking victim, brilliantly highlighting the bystander effect. The episode stands out not only as a captivating topic for those in the field of social psychology, but the show has become nestled into some’s lives as a comforting backdrop – often accompanying many, myself included, as a nostalgic echo. I’d like to delve ..read more

In the field of education, the arrival of digital books has brought about a revolution, significantly changing how students interact with educational resources. As we explore the significant impact of digital books on education, I draw on insights from “Social Psychology for Educators,” a seminal text from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. One key principle from “Social Psychology for Educators” that is relevant to the integration of digital books is observant learning. Proposed by famous psychologist Albert Bandura, observational learning theory posits that individuals learn not only ..read more

          The picture of the difficulties experienced by people navigating gender norms is painted by the interplay of masculinity, suicide, prejudice, and discrimination within the maze of intergroup  dynamics and societal expectations. There are  some present studies exploring this complex network. Coleman, Feigman, and Rosen used longitudinal data from the Add Health Longitudinal Study to begin an attempt to understand the impact of traditional masculinity on suicide rates. Their research revealed a surprising correlation: males who adhere to traditional ..read more

When I was doing research online, I noticed a non-profit organization from Switzerland called My Climate, which aims to protect the environment. It does not just provide a wide variety of carbon offset programs at affordable prices to meet the demands of various groups, but it also performs impressively in each program. The company My Climate relies highly on the market segment business model, which is very competitive. Environmental protection (also referred to as environmental offsets) is usually seen as an option rather than a requirement. Although the environmental burden of a company’s p ..read more

The evolution of traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) emphasizes the balance between acceptance and change and is a type of treatment distinguished by a dialectical approach. DBT advocates use “Devil’s advocate” frequently throughout psychotherapy. Examples of this include asking the patient, “It takes a lot to learn to use the skills, why do you want to participate in this therapy,” presenting a strong attitude by saying, “I can’t continue treating you if you die,” and confronting the consequences of negative behaviors by directly asking about ..read more

In today’s fast-paced digital world, email has become known as an essential communication tool. However, it’s crucial to recognize its limitations and potential drawbacks, as highlighted by the insightful words of Gatz and Hirt (2000). Even if email is efficient and convenient, some complicated problems are better handled in person or over the phone, so details can be communicated and answers may be received right away. A recent personal happening showed the difficulties of relying entirely on email to resolve critical issues. When I discovered an small error in the information entered for my ..read more

Embarking on a journey to enhance our health behaviors can be a daunting and unfamiliar path with psychological barriers that seem almost impossible to achieve at times. However, by leveraging insights from established theories like the Health Belief Model (HB<) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we can discover effective strategies for initiating and maintain health behavior changes. These models clarify how our personal beliefs about health risks and the potential benefits of change, combined with social influences and our perceived control over behaviors, play critical roles in sh ..read more

When I first heard the term participatory action research (PAR), thoughts of making protest signs, and marching in the streets ran through my mind. I have activism in my blood, I cannot help but be loud about my beliefs, to incite change where it must occur. I have been tear-gassed, shot at, and fought my way through the mess that policies have saddled us with, trying to appeal to others to see the present or enduring injustice. So, when I began reading this week’s materials I was enticed, I could now name what I had done, and what I continue to do, but now with a purpose beyond my feelings, o ..read more

In Lesson 13, we learned about social change research, which is when “the researcher(s) are actively changing something in a social situation that they are a part of.” An issue that social change research could help is with environmental issues such as climate change, and both the participatory and activist aspects of social change research are relevant. Researchers could start by performing participatory research, which the lesson notes defines as “when the researchers are a part of the community or other social situation and are vested in trying to learn something about an issue in that comm ..read more

Social change is an important aspect in society. As a whole, if there is a collective issue it typically takes one person with an idea to gather a group in order to create a social change agenda. Walden University discusses that there are four major ways that social change can impact a society.  One that Walden University (n.d.) mentions is practicing random acts of kindness, such as simple manners. For example if someone holds the door for someone it may have a strong impact on their day leading them to do this simple act on another person. Also this takes very little effort and can actu ..read more