Project #3 Psychology in Everyday Life

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Inver Hills Community College *

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1108

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Psychology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

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Project #3: Psychology in Everyday Life Erin Milton Department of Psychology, Inver Hills Community College PSYC 1101: Introduction to Psychology Professor Jennifer Parta April 19th, 2023 My name is Erin Milton. I am currently enrolled in the Emergency Medical Services

program at Inver Hill Community College. I am in my second year, and I have enjoyed seeing all the different aspects of Emergency Medical Services and how it plays a part with psychology and in daily life. Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially affecting behavior in a given context. According to Myers and DeWall (2020), “Psychology is known as the science of behavior and mental processes.” The first psychological concept is operant conditioning. According to Myers and DeWall (2020), operant conditioning is “A type of learning in which a behavior becomes more probable if followed by a reinforcer or less probable if followed by a punisher.” (p.172). Operant conditioning is very important in my daily life. A few examples is when I am doing my homework, it is easy for me to get overwhelmed or distracted. So, I will set a timer and do my homework in intervals, and whenever I complete a 2-hour section of homework, I reward myself with either going on my phone, watching a show, or finding a way to decompress. Another example is when I am at work. I work at a Starbucks and sometimes it can get very busy. When it gets busy, and my baristas stay positive and are doing a great job, I will give them words of encouragement or let them leave early if it slows down. When learning about this concept, it was interesting to see how prevalent this was in my life. I have never noticed how much I used Operant Conditioning in daily life. The importance of operant conditioning can be identified as “Behavior that operates on the environment to produce rewarding or punishing events.” (p.172) I have been able to use this concept within my work, home, and school life by allowing me to reward myself, or others, when something is accomplished. The Second psychological concept is Social loafing. Social loafing is defined as “the

tendency for people in a group to exert less effort on pulling the efforts toward obtaining a common goal and one individually accountable (Myers and DeWall, 2020,) (p.126.) Myers and DeWall also says “If the task is a shared task, the presence of others sometimes leads to social loafing, in which participants exert less effort, knowing that his or her individual performance will be hidden in the group product.” Social Loafing is relatable to me in work and school life as when people see you working hard, or doing most of the work, they will tend to not help out as much. For example, if I have a set list of tasks in order to restock the store before I leave, and everyone sees me doing it and I don't ask for help, they are less likely to help restock or prepare products because they will know I will do it. Another example is when doing a group project, if the group sees that you are doing most of the work, they will tend to slack off since they know you are doing the work. Learning more about this concept has impacted my life as it can help me see how this plays a role in my life. It has helped me be able to identify where I need to take a step back and not be afraid to ask for help. The psychological theme that fits best with this is: psychology explains general principles that govern behavior while recognizing individual differences. I think this one fits best because it relates to how psychology helps describe principles that influence behavior, yet allows individual differences. This relates to doing a group project, if you see someone doing all the work, you may tend to back off and allow that, although you can see how it might not be completely fair. The third psychological concept is Positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement, according to Myers and DeWall is defined as “increasing behaviors by presenting a pleasurable stimulus, such as food. A positive reinforcer is anything that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.) (p.174)

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This concept is relatable to me as I try to use this in my daily life. Whether it is I allow myself to be on my phone for a little bit after finishing homework, or giving my dog a treat every time he comes in right away when we ask him. Positive reinforcement is important to daily life as when I give myself a treat after completing homework, I feel better and as if I want to do it again. Also, when I give my dog a treat after listening, he will be more likely to listen as he knows he will get a treat for listening. Learning more about positive reinforcement more in depth has helped me recognize that positive reinforcement is all around us, more than we know. I have noticed that telling my coworkers I am proud of their hard work, they tend to keep doing work. Also, when I say “good dog” to my puppy, and he comes in and sits instead of jumping, he knows he will get a treat so he is more inclined to sit and listen. This concept fits into the psychological theme of Psychological, biological, social, and cultural factors influence behavior and mental processes. I think it fits this theme because factors, such as positive reinforcement, influence our behavior. If we are at work and someone tells me I am working hard and doing a great job, I am inclined to keep it up. The fourth psychological concept is Critical thinking. Critical thinking, according to Myers and DeWall is defined as “Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, uncovers hidden values, weights evidence, and assesses conclusions.” (p.2) With critical thinking, according to Myers and DeWall, “The more people use critical thinking, the better they separate fiction from fact.” This concept is relatable to me as I use critical thinking in life and my school work. An example of using it in my school is when I work out the best to approach a group project. When sorting out how to do a group project we are

making decisions on who will do each task, so that way it is done fair for all. Also, we will solve problems like where to meet, what time works best, and how we should split the taks. When learning this concept more in depth, it has impacted my life by allowing me to view different points of view, and understand them. Critical thinking is an important aid in learning how to make sense of the world. Critical thinking fits into the psychological theme that Applying psychological principles can change our lives, organizations, and communities in positive ways. I believe that it fits this theme because when we use critical thinking skills, we will be able to work better with others and be able to change things in a positive way. The fifth psychological concept is Confirmation bias. According to Myers and DeWall confirmation bias is defined as “A tendency to search for information that supports your preconceptions and to ignore or distort evidence that contradicts them.” (214) Confirmation bias has definitely been present in my life, even if it has not come directly from me, I have fallen victim to confirmation bias. An example is in the workplace, as I have a herniated disc, so oftentimes working can be really hard on my back. I have been called lazy, and viewed as unable to work as hard, due to the fact that because my back bothers me some days, it is hard for me to give 100% to my work. It is important to see how confirmation bias can play a role in our daily life. When people see a woman and automatically view her as weak, or unable to do the same tasks as a man, that is an example of confirmation bias. Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and beliefs, and even if you do not agree with their views, it is important to understand you may not be able to change their opinions, only take it in. Confirmation bias fits into the psychological theme that Our perceptions and biases filter our experiences of the world through an imperfect personal lens. I think it fits that theme because everyone has their own views and opinions, and our perceptions

will stay strong with us, even when others disagree. In conclusion, whether they are super present in my life, or have only happened once, I can relate to all of these concepts as they have been present in my life. Something I still need to work on would be social loafing. I tend to do most of the stocking and cleaning at work, as I feel I need to prove myself, but I should also learn to recognize that it'll cause many of my employees to not work as hard since they see me doing everything. I believe I have some takeaways from this project and from everything I have learned in this class. I have taken psychology and sociology classes before, but I never have taken the time to recognize how psychology is so relevant to everyday life. References Myers, D.G., & DeWall, C.N. (2020). Psychology in Everyday Life (5th ed.). Worth Publishing.

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