A Personal Reflection

A Personal Reflection

A person is an individual; this person will look at the environment, through both nature and nurture to develop a concept of self. The concept of self comes from past and future; how a person was and who the person wants to be. This study of personality illustrates the individual looking into the world for hopes, fears, and understanding of what to expect from these elements in the world, how to interact, and who the world thinks he or she should be. Within the social world, the self is a person attitude toward the world. The social world play a role in how the person will interact, the influences the person will perceive as acceptable and wants to guide his or her behavior. The individual consists of three concept of the self: self efficacy, self esteem, and the self concept. When, looking at these concepts I can see how they interact with whom I am, and how I perceive myself in the social world. This also allows me to share personal experiences and events that have and are interacting with my own social development. Defining the self, looking at the concepts of self esteem, efficacy, and self concept along with sharing personal experiences and events give a better insight of me.

The Self

The self illustrates how a person perceives, who he or she are. The self-concept defines the organization of attributes and roles that the individual sees in when looking at oneself. A general definition of self comes from social interaction; this interaction influences and guides an individual’s behavior. According to Myers (2010), self concept consists of three sources: cognitive dissonance theory, self-perception theory, and self-presentation theory (p. 140). The self-presentation theory illustrates how a person will attempt to stay consistent; a person does not want to appear foolish or inconsistent. A person can take the consistency to an extent that the person displays insincerity or hypocrisy, but this action will assist in making a good impression, and displaying this perception of self. More than the self-perception theory is the self-justification theory or cognitive dissonance theory and the self-presentation theory.

Cognitive dissonance theory demonstrates that a person motivates to maintain a consistency among his or her cognitions. This theory assumes that when a person senses tensions or even a lack of harmony, when two thoughts or beliefs, are inconsistent (Myers, 2010). A person, who justifies his or her action by believing it to be true, is unreceptive to self correction. Showing that a person’s view of the self; will become a consistent in actions regardless of past beliefs. This theory shows an explanation of self-persuasion, although self-perception demonstrates why humans compare the self to others.

Self-perception is how action of the individual is judged by the action of others traits, attitude, and environmental forces. Self-perception suggest that when a person’s own attitude is lacking the person will look at his or herself as a person observing would look at him or her, by looking at the self behavior and circumstance that cause the attitude. A person watches his or her own actions and attitude like an outsider would, concluding belief in something by how strong the person reacts to the situation. These three theories of self demonstrate why a person conceives who he or she is.

The self becomes more defined by beliefs of a person in his or her capabilities to perform over the influences that affect life. How self-efficacy determine how the person will think, feel, or motivate self behavior. A person who doubts his or her own capabilities will shy away from a difficult task but when a person has a strong concept of self the person will concentrate on how to perform successfully. The concept of the self can be used for a self interpretation.

The Self of Mary

I am seen in three concepts of the self. These three concepts can determine my actions of how I perceive my personality traits, my physical characteristics, self values and goals, along with my role in society. The first of these three concepts is the self concept.

Self Concept

The self concept is how a person’s concept of the self relates to the social world. The true self and the opposite of despair is the connection of self concept in present studies and how the experience of meaning in life connects to the individual (Schlegel, Hicks, Arndt, & King, 2009). The true self serves as a meaning in life. How a person sees him or herself is how the person will experience life in a social world. I try to view myself as an individual, as a mother, and a friend. I try to hold high standards for myself setting examples I want my children to live by. I look to my friends and family for an understanding of how I should act and react in situation of life. Learning from their example yet bringing my own variation of how events or mishaps should be treated and handled. A person is a product of his or her own environment, I hope as I grow and develop in mine I remember to know myself, love myself, and be true to myself. In this every changing world, “to thy own self be true” is a necessity more than ever. Self esteem also help when developing and maintaining a self concept.

Self Esteem

When maintaining a self concept a person’s self-confidence comes into play. Self esteem is more than thinking highly of oneself. Self esteem is a person’s feelings and beliefs of his or her value and capability. Self esteem is a state of mind that a person should have, too often a person can fall prey to flatterers, and becoming disheartened when dangers confront (Buhrmester, Blanton, & Swann, 2011). This concept of the self is of self worth and a global evaluation of self. When I think of self esteem as a self reflection of me capable of requirements, holding my head high in my life choices, and not accepting others views of me when they are demeaning. I am not perfect but I am unsure of any human-being who is. I may be a bit overweight or not be the most beautiful person in the world, but I am happy with whom I am. To me self esteem is accepting myself in a world that can be unforgiving and un-accepting. To keep a high self esteem a person must have high self efficacy.

Self Efficacy

Completing a task that someone else is also working on but doing it more rapidly, or better, being more successful in this task and receiving positive feedback for this accomplishment raises self efficacy. Self efficacy illustrates a person’s concept of judgment in accomplishing a task, reaching a specific goal, and this is not sensed globally. This concept of self is how a person my think, feel, act, and motivate the self (Zulkosky, 2009). Self efficacy is measured by how capable, I am in obtaining a goal, performing better or equal to others I feel are strong in an area, and by what I have already accomplished. Self efficacy is also undertaking new tasks and achieving my goal and reaching for higher stakes. Most recently this is my ability to do my job at a higher level than my peers, but it is my ability to continue a degree and obtain a future goal, which will help raise my self esteem, and self concept.

Social Experiences or Events of Personal Development

When, I reflect over my life, I have several social experiences and events that help to define me. At the age of 15 I was moved from my home in New Jersey to Arizona and had to rely on myself efficacy, self esteem, and self concept to make friends, adjust to my new environment, and overcome my fears of not fitting-in to the new society. At the age of 22, I had to relearn who I was and what I wanted for not only myself but also my three small children. I had divorced and was starting my life new once again in a new place where I had my brother. I had to relearn who I was to me, what society expected of me, and what role I wanted to take in it. In this part of my life my self-perception played a large role, being a single mother was new challenges, new goals, and more ambitions. I had to succeed in life I had others who depended on me. My last event of personal development is still ongoing. I hope to succeed, thrive, and accomplish from experiences and new ones while working on my bachelor’s degree. I need to use the concept of self to determine my attributes of where I am and where I want to be. I need to understand the importance of self esteem, concept, and efficacy to help my journey of personal development. Each major journey in my life has brought the self that I am today forward. I am stronger in personable skills, being made to make friends in a new environment. I achieve more quickly from taking on the role of single mother, whilr others depend on me for their own examples of self. I work harder to reach the aspect of self to be the am and the person I want to be.

Conclusion

In conclusion the self is how a person looks at his or herself in a personal and social way. Our environment has as much to do with who we are as how we are. The self is a mixture of identity, mental concept, and a regard to personality. The self is looking into concepts of self esteem, self efficacy, and self concept. The individual will depend on the attributes from each of these to develop not only from the past but also toward a future of who he or she wants to be. Having a love of oneself will assist in this. Along with how the self relates to the social world, how efficient the self is. In personal experiences I rely on past strengths to accomplish personal goals, to help myself mature within an every changing world. I am me and I am glad to be an individual in world of full of uniqueness.

References

Buhrmester, M. D., Blanton, H., & Swann, W. r. (2011). Implicit self-esteem: Nature, measurement, and a new way forward. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), 365-385. doi:10.1037/a0021341

Myers, D. G. (2010). Social psychology (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Schlegel, R. J., Hicks, J. A., Arndt, J., & King, L. A. (2009). Thine own self: True self-concept accessibility and meaning in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(2), 473-490. doi:10.1037/a0014060

Zulkosky, K. (2009). Self-efficacy: a concept analysis. Nursing Forum, 44(2), 93-102. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Social Psychology

Social Psychology

Social psychology like many other fields of psychology has a relatively long history but is still a very young field in the science community. In psychology the social psychology field uses research to determine how individuals view and affect each other. Social psychology is often mistaken for personality psychology can overlap in sociology, and clinical psychology because of the view on personal development and mental well-being of the individual. Social psychology uses three major fields of research: experimental research, survey research, and correlational research. Each field addresses the individual and the individual’s aspect of life situations. A well-known experiment in social psychology is the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo in 1973. A well-known subfield of social psychology is forensic psychology, a field, which searches the mind and behaviors of criminals while working closely with law enforcement and the judicial system. To define social psychology a person would look into how a person and others view themselves and the world, the person would use social psychology over other disciplines because social psychology address how individuals effect each other, and the person would use research methods to do this, these methods could include experimental, survey, and correlational research, a well-known experiment in this field is the Stanford prison experiment, and subfield that fits this experiment is forensic psychology.

Social Psychology Defined

The way a person looks at the world or how he or she believes or conceives a situation and how people look at each other is social psychology. This field of psychology is a part of science, it studies and researches situations and how these situations influence, along with how people view and affect each other. Social psychology also works closely with sociology. Unlike sociology, social psychology uses experimentation, and looks at the individual. This also is more of how individuals affect one another and view one another. Social psychology studies relationships by asking questions that intrigue as-well-as studying influences, and our thinking (Myers, 2010). Social psychology does more than this it looks at social topics, group beahvior, nonverbal behavior, leadership, social perception, aggression, conformity, and prejudice. Gordon Allport, (1985) describes social psychology as a discipline using scientific method for an understanding of and how to explain behavior of individuals, thought, feelings, and how behavior influences an individual’s implied by imagined or actual presence of others. Social psychology is not just about the social influences it is also about social interaction and social perception these are keys to social behavior and the individual. Social psychology like other fields of psychology has a long history but is still a relatively new field.

One of the earliest idealists in social psychology was Plato; his contribution was the idea of the “crowd mind.” This idea of Plato’s suggests links between power and persuasion. Norman Triplett in the 19th century brought the first research forays into social psychology. Norman Triplett’s work was with the effect of competition on children’s performance in reel-winding. Sigmund Freud did an analization of the ego through group psychology and laid ground work in the 20th century for social psychology today. Freud also touches on other fields of psychology. Each field of psychology is import and how these other fields of psychology compare to social psychology.

Social Psychology versus other Disciplines

Social psychology is often mistaken for and compared with a general psychology field known as personality psychology, which is a study of mind dealing with the unconscious and conscious mental states. Personality psychology is also about the individual but more on difference of the individual rather than the how individuals can affect each other. Social psychology also over laps with many other parent fields of and has a marginal status. Sociology, which is the study of group life and social relations, is another type of discipline mistaken for social psychology. Social psychology is comparative to and differs from clinical psychology; this discipline integrates clinical knowledge with theory to understand, relieve, and prevent psychological-based distress or dysfunction, and helps with personal development and well-being. All of these studies do deal with individuals, but social psychology is different because it uses research, it employs the scientific method, and the study of social phenomena (Allport, 1985). While looking at these different fields it is easy to see the pattern of the individual, but how each field addresses the individual is what makes these other disciplines stand out. One aspect of Social psychology that does stand out from the others is the use of research in this field.

Research in Social Psychology

Research is a necessary part of social psychology, Kelley (2002) notes that while working with John Holmes of the University of Waterloo a main goal is to develop more systematically view of how personality variables link to situations. The three main types of research are experimental research, survey research, and correlational research. Experimental research uncovers causal relationships between variables. The experimental group and the control group will have participants randomly assigned to them. With experimental research the control group is the baseline, and the experimental group will have manipulated levels of independent variables, to measure the effects. An example would be how people differ in the valuation dispositions of self, one may put high values on their own outcome and another may put high values on their partner’s outcome showing more concern for common welfare (Kelley, 2000). The next major method of research in social psychology is survey research.

Survey or descriptive research uses random sampling; each member of the group will have an equal effect on the results. Survey research is useful in finding present opinions and variables. This type of social psychology research will not assist in predicting future likelihood of events or opinions. How it is very effective when trying to discover how individuals feel about a candidate for office such as presidency. The downfall of such research can be the wording, response options, and even what order the questions are in, give bias to the survey results. The last most commonly used research method does not allow determination between changes in variables.

Correlational studies may help determine if two variables have a relationship but this study does not show if one of these variables caused the other variable to change. This method is useful in finding relationships between variables. The research can be done through directly observing behaviors, compiling research from earlier studies, or by conducting surveys. According to Robak & Nagda, (2011) a current correlational study is self-determination theory, which uses earlier test of this theory to see how they interact with current test results. A famous experiment in social psychology comes from Philip Zimbardo.

Zimbardo in Social Psychology

Philip G. Zimbardo took social psychology to a new level with his Stanford Prison Experiment. In 1973 Zimbardo and two colleges took normal college students and “some presumably mentally sound experimenters, and dramatically transformed them in the course of six days within a prison-like environment” (Haney & Zimbardo, p 1, 1998). When the experiment began all the volunteers were equal, it was a flip of coin that decided who would be a guard and who would be a prisoner. Each prisoner went through a form of humiliation; they were stripped, searched, and deloused. Keeping up with the humiliation the prisoners were made to wear a smock with nothing underneath, a nylon stocking cap, and a heavy chain on their ankle. The chain was a reminder of oppressiveness of the fake prison environment, even while sleeping they could not escape the oppression (Haney & Zimbardo, 1998). This oppressive and humiliating environment does have a relevance to social psychology.

The experiment degenerated quickly as the dark and inhuman side of human nature was seen very quickly. Prisoners were suffering humiliation and punishment from the guards and began to break both emotional and mental. Only two days into the experiment a riot occurred with because of conditions. The experiment showed that one third of the guards showed signs of sadism, and even Zimbardo noted to become internalized (Haney & Zimbardo, 1998). Two prisoners were released early because of the emotional distress in such a short time. Those who stayed become institutionalized rather quickly and took on their roles. When a new prisoner was introduced and told to hunger strike for early release, he was seen as a troublemaker and not as victim who was offering help to the other inmates. When offered to help the hunger striking inmate be released from confinement early, the others refused to help him. On the sixth day Christina Mastack did an interview on the guards and was concerned with the treatment and what was happening, it was this that ended the experiment (Haney & Zimbardo, 1998).

This experiment on human nature demonstrated that individuals when given authority could be swamped. Ideological and social factors show that individuals act as they believe is required of them and will not use their own judgment. Instead of relying on beliefs and morals the subjects reacted to the need of the situation.

Subfield of Social Psychology

Forensic psychology is a subfield of social psychology. This field of psychology is maturing as a discipline, and is making considerable progress toward its goal of close integration of foundational science with practice (Heilbrun & Brooks, 2010). Defining forensic psychology is not simple because of the interaction within psychology and the law. This field performs many roles, as people within the field may have degrees in school psychologists, counselors, clinical psychologist, and neurology. The forensic psychologist will work closely with individuals, treating and diagnosing, those who come in contact with the justice system. This field will also work with children suspected of being abused or who have to give court testimonies. Unlike other fields of psychology the psychologist and individual do not normal bond working on assessment for treatment, the individual is usually not there on his or her own accord, making treatment, assessment, and diagnosis difficult (Heilbrun & Brooks, 2010).

Conclusion

In conclusion social psychology may be similar to other fields, but it uses scientific method to understanding how the behavior of individuals, thought, feelings, and how behavior can influences others. This field can be compared to clinical psychology because it helps with personal development and well-being. This field can also comparative with sociology because of the study of group life and socialization and with personal psychology for the individual. Unlike other disciplines social psychology is about research. Research is important because it can define how others influence an individual’s environment. This is seen with Stanford Prison Experiment, when a new inmate introduced was thought to be a troublemaker and not someone looking after other inmate’s best interest. When looking into this experiment a person can see forensic psychology as it deals closely with those being accused, or helps children, and others who are victims.

Reference

Allport, G. W. (1985). The historical background of social psychology. In G. Lindzey, and E. Aronson, (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology, 1, (3), 1-46.

Haney, C., & Zimbardo, P. (1998). The past and future of U.S. prison policy: Twenty-five years after the Stanford Prison Experiment. American Psychologist, 53(7), 709-727. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.53.7.709

Heilbrun, K., & Brooks, S. (2010). Forensic psychology and forensic science: A proposed agenda for the next decade. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 16(3), 219-253. doi:10.1037/a0019138

Kelley, H. H. (2000). The proper study of social psychology. Social Psychology Quarterly, 63(1), 3-3-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/212700284?accountid=35812

Myers, D. G. (2010). Social psychology (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Robak, R. W., & Nagda, P. R. (2011). Psychological Needs: A Study of What Makes Life Satisfying. North American Journal of Psychology, 13(1), 75-86. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Peacemaking Journal Review

Peacemaking Journal Review

Peace is mutually beneficial relationship, which has low levels of aggression and hostility. Peacemaking is an effort to resolve parties in conflict. Before peacemaking has an influence on a situation there needs to be a conflict. One such conflict is the Iraq War. A group of people make camps in the war zones helping the people fight against the war, by developing relationships and giving a sense of empowerment to the Iraqi people. Myers (2010) believes in four key ingredients for peacemaking. Comparing these ingredients with the article from Culbertson will show how peacemaking even from a small group can be accomplished. Peacemaking is bringing a conflict to a resolution, a closer look at an article that deals with peacemaking will assist in understanding, as will the four C’s to peacemaking.

Peacemaking Defined

Peace is not just suppressing conflict; it is the creative management of conflict (Myer, 2010). Peace comes when the parties can reconcile difference and reach an accord. Peace is also a low-level violence, when the involved parties seem to be harmonious. Peacemaking brings toxic forces and destructive conflict to a constructive resolution. Peacemaking helps to establish equal power that will help ward off any future conflict. This new equal power will bring an understanding to all parties previously in conflict. Peacemaking can take close fits and convert them into open arms bring foes together in friendship. Peacemaking is making peace by settling disputes between groups, individuals, nations, communities, and even within families. Peacemaking comes from the four C’s of peacemaking contact, communication, cooperation, and conciliation. An article about such a calibration is Stories of Nonviolent Peacemaking/Iraq: A Journey of Peace and Hope by H. M. Culbertson.

The Journal Article

In this article the subject to discuss is the opposition of the Iraq War in the United States. A religion-based peacemaking organization assists in this anti-war movement, the Christian Peacemaking Teams, here on known as CPTs. The Gishes’ are a husband and wife team taking a stand against the war believing that relationship building is important. The Gishes are long time activists and have worked in various parts of the world, opposing the war, seeking social justice. According to Culbertson (2006), CPTs live near or in conflicting areas, claiming to be nonpartisan, but tend to favor the people on the receiving end of the bullets (para. 3). The members work in small groups, and develop friendships with the people they are living with, by facing the same dangers as the people in crisis are. The article discusses, how even a few people can make a difference giving a sense of togetherness that can aid with an understanding. These groups also help build a sense of empowerment by working to have detainees released. How does this article of peacemaking compare to social psychology theory of peacemaking?

The four C’s of Peacemaking

According to Myers (2010), the four key ingredients to peace making are the four C’s: contact, cooperation, communication, and conciliation (p. 499). The first step is contact; contact can predict tolerance, an increased contact will decrease prejudice in a situation. In this article the subject to discuss that the Gishes make contact with the other side, showing them favor, and standing between the men with weapons and the people they feel are innocent. They believe contact with one-on-one relationships make a difference. They will listen to the Palestinians, and go out of their way to talk with Israeli settlers and soldiers. This contact was also done in small groups were opposing groups can understand each other. The second C or cooperation is seen when the Peggy Gishes and colleagues meet with the American Special Forces at huge risk, but this also helped them earn credibility amount locals (Culbertson, 2006). CPT members also worked hard for the release of captives. Reaching out to make the difference can help the anxiety that marks initial intergroup contact and form friendships. Forming a friendship develops a positive attitude and will help diminish stress, and form more emotional ties (Myers, 2010).

Cooperation also gives empowerment to the people who suffer oppression believing in discrimination against them. This empowerment can be seen as equal status contact. When ridiculed by children in the village the CPT member make light of the situation and “play along” bringing laughter and defusing tempers. CPT members living in the villages, and sharing the same threats gives them the same common external threats as the Iraqis. This gives the CPT’s and the Iraqis a common enemy, unifying the group. This unification also helps to superordinate goals, the CPT member live in the camps, share food with the villagers, and under the same attacks; they work with the people for freedom against the war. The CPT will also challenge those are purveyors of injustice. This challenge brings the need for cooperation.

Communication helps resolve differences when parties are in conflict. An arbitrator can help resolve the issue, by submitting disagreements, to someone who can issues and impose a settlement (Myers, 2010). Within the fore mentioned article, the CPT acts as communicator for the natives and the invader within this community. The Gishes even went as-far-as they were concerned possible to speak with American Special Forces, before an invasion as to help save some of the innocent (Culbertson, 2006). This is not always an easy task as some will demand more than others and will often receive more to reach an agreement. The Gishes family acted as mediators they had to work under threat to gain the respect of local citizens. In the article case the mediators also stopped the people with guns from acting upon hatred. The CPT listens to all sides of a dispute; Art Gishes would speak to the Palestinians and the Israeli settlers and soldiers to help resolve issues between the sides. The last step of Peacemaking is conciliation.

When tension and suspicion run high communication can become impossible, conciliation helps to overcome the distrust, and appease the parties. CPT’s worried about cause for broader context in the war. They did not want to be used by one side against the other breaking bonds for communication. One way to resolve what seems irresolvable is to use GRIT. GRIT is an acronym for “graduated and reciprocated initiatives in tension reduction.” Grit will help each sides initiate a few small de-escalatory actions, the initiator states desire to reduce tension, declares each conciliatory act before making and invites adversary to reciprocate. Although the article does not relate that the CPT can make a large difference with communication through conciliation, they do help the villagers with a sense of empowerment.

Conclusion

Peace is a calm involving parties in low-levels of aggression and hostility, whereas peacemaking is a way to resolve high levels of aggression and hostility. The reviewed article reflects how CPT’s the Gishes in particular address peacemaking trying to make a difference for the villagers in the areas they visit. Contact, cooperation, communication, and conciliation are four key ingredients to peacemaking. Contact is the initial connection will decrease prejudice in a situation. Cooperation can give empowerment to the all sides involved with the conflict. Communication helps resolve difference, whereas conciliation helps to overcome the distrust and appease the parties.

References

Culbertson, H. M. (2006). Hebron Journal: Stories of Nonviolent Peacemaking/Iraq: A Journey of Peace and Hope. Public Relations Quarterly, 51(4), 3-4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Myers, D. G. (2010). Social psychology (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.