Social Psychology
The heart of social psychology deals with how we interact with and think about others.
Are you ready to try a little Psychology? Try breaking a social norm and view the reactions.
Here are the Rules:
You must be alone, the behavior must be legal and non-threatening to others, and you should debrief your participants if they are significantly involved. In other words, if you involve someone other than just watching you, let them know this was a class project. Don’t try to make anyone angry (“Punked” Style), let’s just see what people do when you break small norms. Sometimes we can learn more by subtle than drastic norm violations. For your safety and the safety of others you can do something within your own household or virtually instead of out in public!
Some suggestions might include…
1.) Sing loudly while in a bathroom stall
2.) Skip instead of walk
3.) Have a conversation with someone but stand further away than you normally would when in a conversation.
4.) Use your kid’s backpack all day. What do others think of you using “Elmo” gear?
6.) Wear two different (very different) shoes to the grocery store.
7.) Sit in a totally different seat (at work, at school, etc.) than you typically would
Initial post:
Describe the social norm you chose to violate. What did you predict about others’ reactions? (1 paragraph)
Describe what you did and what happened. Be sure to include enough detail for us to understand what you did (where were you? What day was this? Who else was around? What did you do to make sure this was a very safe activity? How did the situation make you feel?). Also include a description of the reactions of those around you. Did others react the way you predicted? (1-2 paragraphs)
Why do you think we generally conform to the social norms of our culture? (1-2 paragraphs)
