Reflective Learning Journal - Essay Example

Individual in Society Learning Journal Introduction What is a Learning Journal? This is an academic book that acts as a support for reflection of concepts, ideas and theories learnt from topics in tutorials and lectures. A journal enhances efficacious learning in a student and helps one to grasp and comprehend any learnt topics in a classroom. It enables an efficient reflection of concepts that were learnt in class. In this case, there were three topics covered which include Self and Identity, Prejudice and Discrimination, and Attraction and Close Relationships. 2. Why am I completing a Learning Journal as part of my study of social psychology? The learning journal aims at helping me properly understand and reflect on the ideas, issues and concepts learnt from topics in the class lectures in the most efficacious way possible. The journal also aims at enabling me think critically in identifying the ideas, concepts and issues raised in the topics. This will in turn enable me acquire the ability to reflect, respond to similar issues and formulate similar ideas 3. What do I hope to learn from this assignment? The assignment will no doubt help me in my future studies and in practical application of learnt ideas. It will enhance grasping and understanding of concepts from the topics I have learnt more effectively, and enhance reflection and application of the same in real time social psychology in the future. Further, it will equip me with skills in critical thinking, evaluation and quick comprehension. In my future studies, it will help me to reflect on learnt materials adequately, be able to identify and connect with the learnt ideas and apply the same in solving related issues. perspective. Reflective Learning Journal Topic: Self & Identity 1. Which aspect of the topic has interested me most? Why? In the topic Self and Identity, the aspect that has interested me the most is Spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency. This aspect is quite new to me and I never realized that such an experience had happened my life before without my knowledge. The aspect provides me with a new perspective on self-thinking, and its importance and significance in every day life. 2. What are the main ideas, concepts and evidence related to this aspect? The main ideas related to this aspect are the perceptions on self-focus, illusion of transparency cover and the spotlight effect. The concepts describe the language the body gives in certain feelings and the linking of the body language to certain feelings when in fact it is not the case. The body language can give a wrong impression and people can overestimate what one is thinking when it is completely the opposite. This is the spotlight effect discussed in the journal. A person can feel that they are under surveillance of other people when they are not. A person can be too conscious during public speaking and end up being different from the person they usually are in a normal or a social environment. The audience might really be interested in listening to the speaker but because the speaker is too self-conscious might end up underperforming because of thinking that they are being judged by the audience. Illusion of transparency explains how Some feelings are predictable and can be read by others. Feelings such as nervousness, happiness, anxiety, sadness and fear. However, some emotions cannot come out clearly. For example of love can rarely show out to others if the involved party decides to hide their feelings for each other (Myers, 2010) 3. What short quote from the text or reading illustrates an important point related to this aspect? The quote relating to this aspect is by Kenneth Savitsky and Thomas Gilovich who say that people feelings leak out and others normally notice. They forget that their internal stakes can leak out for others to see. For example, signs like trembling and nervousness can easily lead to detection of a liar (Myers 2010, p.60) 4. How is this aspect relevant to my social world? This aspect has enabled me become bold and confident when relating with others in social circles. This is because the spotlight effect and illusion of transparency has occurred to me before. I have had such feelings before and now I can converse with friends without fear that thy have all the attention on me. I understand that they do not have all the focus on me but on themselves and this has enabled me to eliminate anxiety when in social circles. I have eliminated the aspect of self-consciousness since I understand that the audience is not judging me so I give the best speeches than never before. In the past giving such speeches was like a death sentence since I would become nervous and fail to talk. In such situations, I have understood that even though my emotions might be leaking, others cannot notice them and this gives me more confidence while speaking. The aspect of illusion of transparency has enabled me to clearly express myself, in order to prevent the misreading of my feelings by others. Topic 2: Prejudice & Discrimination 1. Which aspect of the topic has interested me most? Why? The aspect that interests me most is the aspect of prejudice and discrimination. This is because this aspect shows the existence of prejudice among people. The aspect occurs in individuals both consciously and subconsciously and shows the different types of discriminations that exist in the society. It allows the identification of effects of prejudice on individuals. It is interesting since even the hidden effects come out clearly and this allows the understanding of such prejudice and the psychological effects it has in the society. 2. What are the main ideas, concepts and evidence related to this aspect? The main ideas and concepts evident in subtle and over prejudice as expressed in the journal describe the possession of dual attitude system by individuals and their implicit and explicit nature. Myers (2010), states that the explicit and implicit nature of their attitude are usually false and their childhood usually dictates their shaping. This normally leads to either generation of fear or the cultivation of respect. According to Pederson et al (2005) the kind of attitude of Australians to particular groups of people, was actually because of their false beliefs to such groups of people. This stereotype is an example of subtle, which is a hidden kind of prejudice. Subtle comes in a hidden form because it exists in beliefs, which in turn shape the attitude. Once formed it is hard to remove since beliefs are hard to erase. A stereotype depicting Arabs as terrorists can be hard to change and this can linger on for generations to come. According to Myers (2010), the modern prejudice is harsh and can compare to subtle prejudice. On the other hand, overt prejudice comes out clear and does not take the hidden form. Its open nature makes it easy to erase and easy to change. Factors such as education and religion can help individuals change their attitude and behaviours towards certain groups of people. Such open stereotype has minimal effects and cannot tarnish the name of a certain group. The blacks can get equal opportunities as whites on this basis and the Arabs can pass out as harmless depending on their actions, and their association with the rest of the groups. 3. What short quote from the text or reading illustrates an important point related to this aspect? Illustration of Subtle and overt prejudice comes out clearly in the text where Myers (2010) says that, “we may retain from childhood a habitual, fear or hatred of people for whom we now respect and admire. Although change of explicit attitudes may occur wildly, implicit attitudes linger” 4. How is this aspect relevant to my social world? The description of over prejudice and subtle helps me to understand the two and to be able to identify whether prejudice is hidden or open and whether it can be changed or not. It also enables me to identify such types of prejudice in the society, and when it occurs in the society. It enables me to assess the psychological effects of prejudice in different groups of individuals. The aspect of prejudice has enabled me to withdraw the prejudices I held before such as Jews are brilliant or Indians are rude. This has enabled me to view all races on the same platform and that all humans are equal. From this perspective, I have been able to get a better understanding of social psychological effects on the victim individuals. It has made me to reflect and envisage how I would feel if I became a victim of prejudice. I have also connected to the fact that some prejudices such as the subtle prejudice are hard to eliminate. Even though this one drawback of this aspect, it is relevant in that, it provides an analysis and understanding of types of prejudices. Topic 3: Attraction & Close Relationships 1. Which aspect of the topic has interested me most? Why? The aspect that interests me the most is the concept of the cause of friendships and attraction. It allows the understanding of formation of friendships and their development. The aspect allows the analysis of friendships from the psychological perspective and the patterns involved in friendships and attraction. 2. What are the main ideas, concepts and evidence related to this aspect? The concepts and ideas that are evident in this aspect are the causes of friendships and attraction. According to Myers (2010), the factors that lead to friendships include proximity, interaction, similarity and mere exposure. They form the basis of understanding the development of friendships, and how attraction starts (Myers, 2010). Proximity explains the idea of distance between two parties and factors such as geographical location determine this. Interaction goes hand in hand with proximity and mere-exposure. This shows that as individuals encounter each other regularly then the probability of friendship and attraction to occur is high. For example, when individuals encounter each other on the same location such as a bus or a class on a daily basis, then the likelihood of friendship developing is high. Mere-exposure is when individuals become exposed to each other on a frequent basis. This enables them to discover aspects of each other such as similarities, likes, dislikes, occupation among others. According to Myers, (2010), the black bag effect is the concept where these individuals establish friendship and develop a liking for each other. The same individuals can have extremely opposite qualities but still become attracted to each other. 3. What short quote from the text or reading illustrates an important point related to this aspect? The quote that illustrates this aspect is “38 per cent met at work, school, neighbourhood, church, gym, while young. If you get married, it may well be someone who has lived, worked or studied with you” (Myers, 2010 p.263) 4. How is this aspect relevant to my social world? This aspect applies to my social world and is relevant in that, it expresses the day-to-day experiences of people in the world and helps me to analyse how friendships of my friends occurred, how relationships of people I know started and how my own friendship started. It helps me to analyse the friendships from a psychological perspective and establish the understanding of how different relationships developed on basis of the discussed concepts such as proximity, mere-exposure and similarity (Myers, 2010). Through this aspect, I can conclude that I made most of my friends from the regularly mere-exposure that existed between us, the similarities we shared such as hobbies, character and experiences and the proximity such as sharing classes. This shows that the aspect applies in my social world. Conclusion 1. What value has this journal been for my learning of social psychology? The journal has enabled me to understand the various aspects of social psychology, through the discussed concepts fro the various topics in the journal. This understanding has helped me to apply some aspects in my own life and to have a connection with the relevance of such aspects in my life. 2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of my Journal? The strengths of this journal are that it has been able to discuss the significant concepts in the aspects found in the topics. The journal has given quotes and examples that enable a better understanding of discussed aspects. The weakness is that the journal was shallow in some aspects and did not give enumerations and examples limiting the aspect of broader understanding. 3. Did I get out of this assignment what I hope for? I feel that I realized my target from this assignment because I gained a better understanding of some social psychological aspects and managed to connect with most of them in my real life. It has enabled me to have a reflective ability of what I learn and to apply some of the content I learnt in my real life. Reference List Myers 2010, ‘Attraction & Intimacy Chapter 11, Tenth Edition’ in Griffin, T. (Ed.) 101557(pp. 258-306): The Individual in Society. North Ryde NSW: McGraw-Hill Australia Myers 2010, ‘Introducing Social Psychology Chapter 2, Tenth Edition’ in Griffin, T. (Ed.) 101557: The Individual in Society.( pp. 28-58) North Ryde NSW: McGraw-Hill Australia Myers 2010, ‘Prejudice Chapter 9, Tenth Edition’ in Griffin, T. (Ed.) 101557: The Individual in Society.( pp. 117-218) North Ryde NSW: McGraw-Hill Australia Pederson, A. , Clarke, S. , Dudgeon, P., & Griffiths, B. (2005) “Attitudes towards Indigenous Australians and asylum seekers: The role of false beliefs and other social-psychological variables, Australian Psychologist, Vol.40, No.3, pp.170-178 Read More