Social Psychology Reflection

Social Psychology Reflection

The external environment impacts personal life significantly. While an individual still reserves the authority and will to self-govern, the influence of outside factors cannot be ignored. Through the theories of conformity and impulsivity, I have outlined two examples of how my thoughts have been impacted by external influences. The theories discussed in this reflection are deeply embedded in the social psychology of human behavior.
Solomon Asch is considered one of the pioneers of social psychology, an area in which he concentrated his research. Over time, he became known for his original experiments in the field of social psychology. One of his areas of study is the influence that others can have on our behavior. Most social acts must be understood in their surroundings to lose their meaning if they are isolated. No mistake is more dangerous when we think about social facts than not taking into account its place and function (Rozin, 2001).
The notable Asch’s experiment consisted of a group of 7 to 9 students. All of them, except one, were part of the experiment and were complicit with the researcher. Some lines were shown to all of them, and the researcher asked each one to indicate which line was longer. The correct answer was very evident, but the participants had to argue their choices. This fact made the subject who was being evaluated – the only one who was not supporting the opinion of others, to feel intense pressure from the group to give the same answer.  Solomon Asch demonstrated that a good part of the experimental subjects ended up exchanging their response, choosing the answer given, the majority even though it was wrong. Also, Asch also wondered if the people who gave that answer were convinced if the feedbacks they gave out were factual answers. Eventually, the number of people who chose the wrong line decreased considerably when there was an option to answer privately. In this way, the influence was manifested mainly by the fact that others saw his answer.

I can easily relate to the outcomes of the above experiment by Solomon Asch. For example, at the workplace, I tend to agree or comply with the ideas of the majority. I often feel safe and a sense of belonging when I conform to the opinion of the majority. Of course, one aspect that makes me take that route is because having a divergent view makes me feel like an outcast in a group, and may lead to people disrespecting me. I also find a group decision to be ‘more correct’ than the decision taken by one person. The only time I take an independent decision is when making a private decision.

Scientifically speaking, conformity is similar to the pressure that a group exerts on a single person – both consciously and unconsciously. It is almost always about behaviors, opinions, attitudes, judgments, morals, or lived norms. I have all the same been very keen on certain group influences that may compel me to conform towards negative morals. For example, we realize that many young and middle-aged people have been conformed into smoking or drinking alcohol. If everyone else has the cigarette in the mouth of the bottle on the neck, there is a tendency or likelihood to feel compelled to do the same out of the fear of being disliked. However, this works less obviously, for example, when I incline to prevailing opinions, decisions and norms. I usually view conformity as a mental manipulation driven by fear of social exclusion. That is precisely what happens at my workplace.  I see colleagues (majority) behaving like a herd of animals who desire to feel that they belong to a group. I also prefer to show conformity to maintain social ties.

In cases whereby I have been affected by the push towards conformity, I usually find myself adapting unconsciously, that is, without realizing that I followed the majority. For example, when it comes to fashion trends or unwritten rules of our workplace culture, I just do the things that colleagues do as long as they do not go against workplace rules and regulations. Opinions and behaviors are adjusted practically and almost automatically. The majority of pressure here is less based on authority and power but arises from my social action and the inherent desire to belong.

I have also realized that authority pressure plays such a significant role in conformity. As the name suggests, it happens somewhat involuntarily. At my workplace, I deliver my duties based on the instruction of people on authority, such as supervisors. Since I am affected by the power or authority in place, I have to submit. The latter is yet another way I have to conform to professional authority life; that’s usually the boss. But there can also be experts and luminaries in a field who exercise passive power based on their specialist knowledge and experience. The same also applies to particularly charismatic people and so-called natural authorities. In the latter cases, however, conformity is again voluntary.

Conformity is a game with power structures and relationships in which the group as a whole participates. It is based on sanctions and rewards, exclusion and confirmation, which anyone who belongs can exercise or grant. For instance, whenever I fail to offer support in the group or the team, it is not a pleasant experience. Exclusion from a group may sometimes connote a direct danger to own lives.

I have ever let myself be tempted by the peer pressure and done or said something because my surroundings dictated it to me. Almost everyone who is honest with himself/herself must answer this question with yes, because the desire to adapt to the social structure and not be noticed negatively is a sincere human need. There is also another crucial factor when it comes to conformity. So much easier than opposing peer pressure. While this alternative would often be the right way, there are two other reasons besides fear of social rejection that prevent you from choosing it.

For one thing, most people are reluctant to conflict and prefer to keep their own opinions behind the mountain so as not to provoke disputes. In this way, harmony can be maintained, even if you have to behave compliantly. However, I sometimes think laziness also contributes to conformity. In other words, it is much more difficult to form a genuinely well-founded opinion on a topic than to adopt the pre-prepared views of others. Everyone can only repeat what everyone else is saying. On the other hand, they may find it difficult to inform, analyze, or reflect.
Another social psychology theory that I can swiftly relate to is impulsivity. While growing up from childhood, I was a very impulsive character. I would act and react to issues before careful thinking. However, I have learnt the art of consulting and deliberating on issues before making a decision. An impulsive behavior may land an individual into unexpected challenges and situations (Nook, Ong, Morelli, Mitchell & Zaki, 2016). Quite often, with the amount of demands of our work, all the requirements made by managements at workplace on goals to be reached, results reports, and among many other tasks, can make it seem difficult to maintain self-control. I have found myself severally in such complicated circumstances, which also force me to be impulsive in my reactions.
I have also learned that it is necessary to develop an emotional intelligence in order to deal with problems and several unexpected situations without acting impulsively (Ziegler et al., 2019). At workplace, there may be moments when you practice something without thinking about the consequences, which can often be negative. I have learned to keep the solution in mind.  What can make an individual despair at certain times is to focus only on the negative side of the problem, without even paying attention to the possible solutions. So, whenever I am facing a problem, I have trained myself to think hard about it and seek to resolve that situation, leaving the negative side behind.

Another important tip is that I no longer accumulate too many tasks or a lot to be done within a short time. In addition to losing focus, too much activities can lead to stressful moments. It is crucial to understand personal limits to avoid the consequences of an impulsive behavior.
Taking a deep breath and developing emotional intelligence are practical and professional methods that can be used to ease down compulsivity either at workplace or at home. Whenever a situation takes a toll on me, I cannot attempt to resolve it at such a time due to nervousness. Taking a deep breath, reflecting on the situation and getting to appreciate the fact that any action I proceed with can be detrimental to in my professional life. I hardly react to other people’s explosive temperaments or parallel subjects that do not match my vision. In the workplace, we are subject to intrigue and unpleasant situations. By developing a stable emotional intelligence, I can use feelings in my favor through self-control and seeking self-knowledge besides being a person who is well regarded at my workplace. When impulsivity occurs occasionally, the behavior may not cause major problems. However, when lack of control is constant and repeated in several situations, it may cause inconveniences.
When I  used to act impulsively, I used to be guided by my own intuition to the detriment of rational thinking which, in many cases (as in social interactions), is essential to cultivate good relationships. Of course, impulsive behavior does not always cause harm. After all, it is our impulsive instinct that alerts us to dangerous situations and makes us take immediate actions that can even save lives. However, acting without thinking can cause problems that are difficult to solve, especially when it occurs frequently. Some examples of situations in which it is necessary to have self-control to cultivate good relationships are the cases in which there is anger. I moments of tension and fight, during exams and situations in which it is possible to make some kind of planning of what is expected from the interaction.This means that impulsive behavior, in these cases, can be detrimental to the good performance of each of these activities and that, for them to occur well, it is necessary to think carefully about their actions before acting. For example, how harmful impulsiveness can be when discussing with coworkers when there is no agreement on ideas.
The first step in getting around problems generated by impulsive actions is to identify the situations they tend to happen – or if they are customary, regardless of the case. For this case, it is worth analyzing the behavior itself. Moreover, self-knowledge is an excellent way to identify what motivates your impulsive actions. By knowing your own behavior, it is easier to foresee some situations and try to stop unthinking attitudes. In addition, knowing your impulses makes it easier to take calculated risks and, thus, reduce the damage of any hasty attitude. However, when these impulses are very strong and even with anticipation, it is not possible to stop them. It may be a sign that it is necessary to seek the help of a psychologist to assist in discovering problems that lead to these actions, to guide with constructive feedbacks and improve progressively. In addition, with the assistance of a professional it is much easier to progress at the right pace, without giving up halfway.

In conclusion, the study of social psychology is instrumental in understanding how external factors influence or impact human behavior. Throughout the above reflection, I have outlined how the theories of conformity and impulsivity are integral in the experiences I went through at one time or another. Through the reflection, I was able to draw clear   parallels between theory and practice. The reflection has made me think about and re-evaluate my behavior.  The reflection challenged me towards appreciating the importance of studying social psychology because it is a discipline directly related to day-to-day human behavior in society.

References

MacKillop, J., Weafer, J., Gray, J. C., Oshri, A., Palmer, A., & de Wit, H. (2016). The latent structure of impulsivity: impulsive choice, impulsive action, and impulsive personality traits. Psychopharmacology, 233(18), 3361-3370.

Nook, E. C., Ong, D. C., Morelli, S. A., Mitchell, J. P., & Zaki, J. (2016). Prosocial conformity: Prosocial norms generalize across behavior and empathy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42(8), 1045-1062.

Rozin, P. (2001). Social psychology and science: Some lessons from Solomon Asch. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(1), 2-14.

Ziegler, G., Hauser, T. U., Moutoussis, M., Bullmore, E. T., Goodyer, I. M., Fonagy, P., … & Dolan, R. J. (2019). Compulsivity and impulsivity traits linked to attenuated developmental frontostriatal myelination trajectories. Nature Neuroscience, 22(6), 992-999.