PSY 301 Week 5 DQ 1 Groupthink

Watch the Groupthink video, and explain why the concept of “groupthink” doesn’t necessarily have a positive connotation. Describe what groupthink refers to, and discuss the conditions that must be present in order for this process to occur. What are the characteristics of groupthink, and what are the potential consequences of the group’s decision making process? Your textbook provides a few historical examples of when groupthink led our country in the wrong direction. Can you offer a current example of this – perhaps from the perspective of pop culture?

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There are three social dilemmas presented in Chapter 15 of your textbook: tragedy of the commons or the commons dilemma, resource dilemma, and prisoner’s dilemma. Choose two of these concepts to discuss, and explain how each is related to social problems in society. How did these problems originate, and what can we do to improve or eliminate them? What recommendations do you have? Please provide a minimum of two recommendations.

To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Final Paper link in the left navigation.
Social Psychology: Bringing It All Together

“Social psychologists investigate how we view ourselves and others, how we interact with others, how we influence others, and how we act when we are part of a group. Given the amount of time each of us spend thinking about and interacting with the people we encounter every day, much of our lives are spent with the subject matter of social psychology.” (Feenstra, 2011, p.22).

This is a formal research paper 8-10 pages in length. Imagine that this will be used as a reference for someone who is completely unfamiliar with social psychology principles. This paper will provide them with an overview of the field, and explain the key principles associated with its practice.

Include the following components in your research paper:

Discovering the Self – How do we perceive ourselves and our interactions with others?

– Self-concept, awareness, and self-schemas

– The acting self

– Self-esteem and self-efficacy

Thinking About Others – What judgments do we make about other people?

– Attributions: internal, external, explanatory style

– Attitudes and behavior

– Prejudice, stereotypes, discrimination

Influencing Others: Persuasion – How do we use the power of persuasion?

– Persuasion techniques

– Characteristics of the persuader, message, audience

Influencing Others: Obedience and Conformity – What factors lead us to conform and become obedient?

– Aggressive behavior and aggression cues

– Prosocialbehavior

– Relationship building, love, and attraction

Group Dynamics – What are elements of a group?

– Types of groups

– consequences of Groupthink

– Social dilemmas

After addressing the components above, reflect on the future of social psychology. Given the immense changes that our society is experiencing (both nationally and internationally), what do you foresee in the future of social psychology? What ground breaking new research do you anticipate?

This is a formal research paper in APA format, 8-10 pages in length (excluding the title page, reference page, or any provided appendices). The intent is to show students’ accomplishment of course learning outcomes through critical analysis of theory and research.

Writing the Research Paper

The Research Paper:
Must be 8 -10 double-spaced pages in length (excluding the title page, reference page, and any appendices), and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved style guide.

Must include a cover page with the following:

– Title of paper

– Student’s name

– Course name and number

– Instructor’s name

– Date submitted

Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.

Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.

Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a concluding paragraph.

Must use APA style as outlined in the approved style guide to document sources for all facts that are not common knowledge.

Must include at least 5 references listed in APA format.

Must include, on the final page(s), a reference list that is completed according to APA style as outlined in the approved style guide.