Required Textbook Social Psychology, 13th ed., by Robert
A. Baron and Nyla R. Branscombe (Boston: Pearson,
2012). ISBN-13: 978-0-205-20558-5
250 words each part of an assignment
Written Assignment 5
1. Briefly discuss the self and self-knowledge, including the idea of
personal versus social identity. Also, define self-esteem and the perspectives on selfesteem
presented in your text (such as whether high self-esteem is always beneficial, gender
differences in self-esteem, and self-evaluations). 2. What are self-serving biases, and what is
unrealistic optimism? Explain these topics, providing examples to clarify.
(2 Pages)
Written Assignment 6 1. The Robber’s Cave experiment is an important one in the area of
social psychology. Tell what happened in the study and explain its significance. S-14 What
implications might this study have for diversity and interaction/integration across racial, ethnic,
gender, and class?
2. Discuss the relationship between stereotyping, prejudice, and
discrimination. Briefly explain the origins for these types of behavior, and describe the effects of
these types of behavior on identity. How do you exhibit in your own work respect for members of
diverse groups and sensitivity to issues of power, privilege, and discrimination? Please give
specific examples.
3. Describe a time in your life when you witnessed or you were subject to an
unfair act of discrimination. What effect did it have on you at the time? How do you think a
person might be affected if this type of discrimination was a regular part of his or her life
experience? You may draw both from the text information and from personal experience.
(3 pages)
Written Assignment 7 1. Examine the topic of interpersonal attraction. Describe the influence of
proximity, physical beauty, similarity, mutual liking, and emotional arousal on attraction. What
about behavioral cues? Do men and women have different preferences for their partner’s skill
sets? 2. Discuss family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships. Be sure to cover
topics such as attachment style, the role of similarity in friendships, and theories about love. 3.
Identify motives for prosocial behavior, including the topics of kin selection theory and defensive
helping,
4. Discuss factors that reduce helping behavior. Also explain the effects of being
helped, including the phenomenon of helping behavior inducing negative reactions. What
factors lead to negative or positive reactions among people being helped?
(4 pages)
Written Assignment 8 1. How does your text explain the dilemma of destructive obedience?
What factors play a role in destructive obedience? 2. What strategies may help people to resist
the effects of destructive obedience? 3. Explain the dynamics of social influence, and describe
two different techniques for gaining compliance that rest on Cialdini’s consistency principle.
4. Discuss thoroughly Cialdini’s basic principles of compliance, providing examples where
necessary.
(4 pages)
Written Assignment 9 1. Aggression is verbal or physical behavior intended to cause harm.
Although we may not like to admit it, we all participate in aggressive behavior at some level and
at some time in our lives. Do evolutionary factors play a large role in aggression? What was
Freud’s theory about violence? What does more recent research say about a likely evolutionary
role for violence? What does Hawley’s research say about this? 2. What internal mechanisms
(forms of self-regulation) are available to control aggression? Why does self-regulation
sometimes fail? What does current research suggest in this regard?
(2 pages)
Written Assignment 10 1. Briefly describe the concept of groupthink. Why does it occur, and
what are its dangers? Have you ever experienced this phenomenon? 2. Explain the factors that
influence happiness, being sure to discuss the relationship between wealth and happiness. 3.
What are the benefits of happiness, and what are some ways to increase personal happiness?
(3 pages)