#SPSP2012 has come and gone, and thanks to a small army of Twitterers I feel (except for the warm weather) like I was there.
It was clearly a great conference, with a ton of enthusiasm, particularly among the younger social psychologists.
So what did I learn? I’d say this: Continue reading “SPSP2012 – My thoughts” »
I am reading social psychologist Tim Wilson’s new book on changing psychology. Some of the findings related to it are summarized here: Continue reading “Using Psychology to Make a Difference” »
Dear Colleagues
I am completely excited to announce that Flat World Knowledge (FWK) has just published a new textbook, Principles of Social Psychology, that I have written. The book has received outstanding reviews from an advisory board and a large team of reviewers and I am excited to present it to you.
A description of the book and link to the text in its entirety appears at http://bit.ly/FWK-SocPsy Continue reading “Principles of Social Psychology Published!” »
Kurt Gray, Assistant Professor of psychology at the University of Maryland has recently reported another way that we bolster our self-esteem and feel good about ourselves. Continue reading “Liking those who like us” »
Professor David Dunning, formerly Executive Officer of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology has written an interesting blog that reminds us of a basic principle of psychology:
”Things that we can see are more powerful than things that we cannot see.”
He argued that Peyton Manning should be voted the Most Valuable Player of the National Football League in 2011. Why?… because the Indianapolis Colts, who had averaged almost 430 points per season in the past 8 years averaged only 243 points this year and won only 2 games. The difference? Manning was on the sidelines for the whole season with a neck injury.
It becomes clear, when we look at it this way, that Manning was a very valuable quarterback – noted in this case by his absence. But because we focus on players that are on the field rather than those who are not, we might easily miss the fact.
Other examples:
We notice right away that someone we haven’t seen for a while has grown a beard (“Hey, you’ve got a new beard!”)
….but when we see someone who has shaved off a beard we’re less sure
(“Hey, there’s something different about you, but I don’t know what it is”)
The spice that’s in the food tastes great (“You used a lot of garlic”) or not (“too much paprika!”)
…but when the food is bland we’re less sure (“something’s missing, but I don’t know what it is.”)
Dunning points out that:
“..the next time you want to test a theory, try not adding the key ingredient you think matters. Rather, take it out and see what happens.” Often, a negative test is more telling than a positive one.
Excellent social psychologists presenting an interesting e -workshop.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/movies/awardsseason/overlooked-movies-of-2011.html?pagewanted=all
One of the most basic concepts, and a fundamental unit of analysis within psychology is the self.
Humans have very well developed self-concepts.
Humans possess self-awareness, the ability to introspect and to see oneself as an individual separate from other individuals.
People possess self-concern: They desire to keep themselves alive.
A derivation of the principle of self-concern is the principle of self-enhancement: people try to view themselves positively, and frequently see themselves more positively than is warranted.
A derivation of the principle of self-enhancement is the principle of self-association: People perceive things that are associated with the self positively.