Social Psychology and Human Nature
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Introduction
Social psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the study of how people behave, thinks, feels and their intention in a specific environment. This subject of psychology has been of great benefits to the social life of individuals; it brings the understanding of the relationship people have with one another. In fact, it enables people to reason appropriately and understand more about other people. The nature of humanity is to interact and exchange ideas, thoughts and feelings and opinion, consequently, thinking about other people without discrimination whatsoever is the real concept of humanity. Social psychology recognizes the role played by the human brain in ensuring interpersonal skills are well interpreted and are employed adequately for a better world.
Ways through which emotions can improve or hinder judgment, decision-making, and performance. When and why are they helpful, and when and why they are harmful.
A powerful force of emotion controls the feeling of love; this creates a stronger bond of attachment between people in love. Emotions are created as a result of the brain’s actions during the interpretation of the memories, thoughts, and beliefs. Therefore, emotion improves or hinders judgment and performance in the following ways.
When emotions are involved in the relationship, it comes with commitment. Through commitment, lovers are inclined towards a particular and decision without further thought. Baumeister presents a perfect example that emotions can disappear, but obligations will remain (Baumeister, 2016, p204). Therefore, when someone is asked whether she/he loves her/his lover and family at large, the definite answer will be “of course” without giving it further thought. This comes due to the effect of emotions existing between two people who are deeply in love with one another. This can improve and decision making in the sense that there is time wastage during the decision making.
On the other hand, emotions can hinder judgment and prevent conscious reasoning; the intense feeling of love that is covered in emotions can lead to misinterpretation of information and corruption the entire process of cognitive analysis. (Sambrano, et al., 2020, p3). Baumeister supports this, a research was conducted on males who were exposed to sex photograph thought that they could not contract sexually transmitted disease. The sexual stimulation that is brought by the photographs prevented them from viewing the reality part of the life. This is a case where emotion has hindered judgement and decision making.
Conscious emotions can sometimes lead people to take more dangerous and risky behavior and ignore the forthcoming consequences of a company. This later results in the negative consequences of emotion, e.g. depression, anxiety, and the fear, which immensely affects the decision-making process.
Sometimes, emotions are appropriate and beneficial to our lives: especially when it appears to be solving problems and preparing us for a better future. According to “broaden-and-build theory,” Emotions have a way of preparing individuals to be stronger hard times to come, only for this course emotions should be exercised and recommended (Baumeister, 2016, p215). It broadens the mind and enhances the mind’s capability to participate in various activities that promote creativity. However, its negative emotion, such as anger corrupts the minds and affects reasoning.
Factors that increase attitude-behavior consistency
The prediction of behavior based on attitudes is research done by many scholars, yet finding a conclusive stand has proven to be difficult. The attitude-behavior relationship is dependent on the relationship between opinion and actions. And therefore, the following factors are increasing attitude-behavior consistency;
Sex; following the knowledge of the relationship between attitude and behavior, it is evident that attitude-behavior consistency is dependent on the actions. During sexual activity, there is a room for expression of a confident attitude that later results in specific behaviors that later forms a consistent mode of action. From the study, women are less affected by this factor due to their sexual responses, which depend upon the instant circumstances and other social factors (Baumeister, 2016, p247).
Attitude availability; this is a factor that stands out when it comes to attitude-behavior consistency. It is how easily some attitude comes into the mind that will determine their influence since they keep crossing the mind more often than not. According to the brain’s biological and chemical nature, constant recognition of particular activity by the brain will create specific neurons that allow chemical flow that later results in a specific behavior (Jiang et al., 2016, p129). Therefore, this is a factor that will necessitate and increases the attitude-behavior consistency.
Time and situation; different points in time, a certain attitude, and predict behavior. Situations can restrict someone’s behavior and propose an alternative that can replace the most predicted form of behavior. For example, during blood donation, someone can opt for giving financial assistance, donating food, and other humanitarian assistance (Baumeister, 2016, p247). This form of behavior results from an attitude that is dependent on the situation.
Individual and situational factors that make people more or less likely to help others. Who helps the most, and in what cases (whom) are they especially to help?
Egoistic; in most cases helping services depend upon inner feelings and intentions, this is individual factor that pleases the service provider than the person receiving the service. This is a factor that aims at reducing the distress of one’s self and induces some relief (Baumeister, 2016, p271). It determines whether someone is to offer help to other or not.
Altruistic (Empathy); the helper puts himself/herself in the situation of the person who needs help and in this cases, the help expects no benefits (Baumeister, 2016, p273). Identification and understanding the needs of people as far as essential commodities are concerned. Females take part in helping people as compared to males. This feeling can trigger help services or not depending on the person offering help.
In most cases, males are found to be more helpful than females especially when the help is to be accorded through a public sphere, to people foreigners or to during emergency (Baumeister, 2016, 275). Females are also helpful and their help services are directed towards family and in cases where there has been a continuous interaction. This is due to the sympathetic and empathetic nature, in doing this, they are above males. However, female will receive help more than males, this is supported by the fact that most attractive females receive help more often than unattractive ones.
Gender differences in helping behavior.
Females and males take different sides and roles when embracing helping behaviors; this is accounted for because people of different genders are subjected and entitled to different feelings (Badger, 2018, p3). Males gender being the most dominant and outspoken of all the genders, they embrace helping behaviors than the female gender. However, due to their outspoken nature, they are helpful in the public domain than in the central (family) aspects (Baumeister, 2016, p251). During an emergency, the males help more than the female gender. Helping behaviors comes with a sense of empathy that is displayed in different proportions between males and females. Females are more empathetic than their male counterparts; thus, females will, in most cases, accord their help during peaceful and emotional setups. Males are very aggressive and, in most cases, help during emergencies and tragic situations.
Differences between antisocial behaviors, aggression, and violence, as defined in the book and distinction between hostile aggression and instrumental aggression, and give an original example of each.
Antisocial behavior is conduct or manner that destroys one’s interpersonal relationships with other people. For very many times, antisocial behavior has been traced back to our cultures and beliefs. This means antisocial is unintentional. In contrast, aggression is an intentional behavior that targets an individual to induce harm (Baumeister, 2016, p334). Aggression can be emotional and presents with various signs of a psychological disorder. Violence is an extreme subtype of aggression that cultivates itself with intense anger that can cause extreme physical danger.
The distinction between hostile aggression and instrumental aggression is seen in nature and the intention through each is anchored. Hostile aggression is intentionally controlled and is a companioned by intense anger. For example, biting, punching, etc. Whereas instrumental aggression is a cold and form of aggression, it’s not accompanied by anger; it is a planned form of aggression that follows a specific pattern. For example, planning a robbery. This is the distinction between the two types of aggression.
Five factors (person-level factors or situation-level factors) that contribute to aggression, and briefly discuss when and how they tend to exert influence.
Given person-level factors and situation-level factors generate the occurrence of aggressive behavior, and aggression levels vary according to the individual and the prevailing factors (Sambrano et al., 2020, p2). The following factors are found to be contributing to aggression;
Frustration; sometimes, it’s very assumed that there can be aggression without frustration and vice versa. But aggression is fueled by frustration in that frustration brings some sense of defeat that makes one feel avoided and hindered in all other aspects of life.
Alcohol intoxication; the connection between aggression and alcohol is wide and very vivid to psychologists. Alcohol induces a state of aggression by interfering with the state of mind. This is not a guarantee that all alcoholics are aggressive.
Domestic violence, family violence has the topmost causes of aggression at the family level (Baumeister, 2016, p349). This will influence the affairs of the family in the sense that direct anger will initiate.
Rejection; the process of being rejected by people who are very close to you can cause much aggression and desperation. This is spotted to have a more substantial influence on a person’s social life, and due to lack of social support, we can opt to react through intense aggression.
Provocation, subjecting to anger and some sort of incitement, is a potential factor that leads to aggression in today’s society. This produces anger that can later exert more significant influence in the life of someone.
Conclusion
In conclusions, the life of human beings in their environment is surrounded by many factors that directly or indirectly affect their life. Interaction with one another is grounded on the concept and understanding of social psychology and human nature; these involve greater interpersonal skills, charity work and general participation to improve the lives of other people. However, several factors determine the reactions and contribution of a person as far as social life is concerned. The contribution of the genders in relation to humanity has also been confirmed alongside how they perform their due diligence as far as helping others is concerned. Behavior and attitude form the basis of social psychology; their connection is supported and affected by some e.g. time and availability.
References
Baumeister Roy, F. (2016). Social Psychology and Human Nature. Cengage Learning.
Steele, K., & LPC-S, L. S. Ethical Decision-Making and Emotions.
Sambrano, D., Masip, J., & Blandón‐Gitlin, I. (2020). How emotions affect judgment and decision making in an interrogation scenario. Legal and Criminological Psychology.
Jiang, H., Liang, J., Wang, H., & Sun, P. (2016). The interplay of emotions, elaboration, and ambivalence on attitude–behavior consistency. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 15(2), 126-135.
Badger, T., & Segrin, C. (2018). Female caregivers of male cancer patients. Gender in Psycho-Oncology.