Peep Diorama Contest Voting

I am very impressed with this year's entries in the Social Psych Peep Diorama Contest. Particularly notable is the diversity of concepts students chose to illustrate with Peeps (or other anthropomorphic candies). We even had a video submission! Well done, everyone!

I believe I've correctly included all of the entries that were sent to me. If yours is missing, please email me ASAP and I'll add it to the form. With submissions coming in on several different platforms, I worry that I might lose track of one, and I'll be happy to update the form to include it if that is the case.

Rules for Voting:

• Voting will open at Noon on Sunday (4/24) and will close on Tuesday (4/26) at 8 AM.
• You may only vote once.
• Voting is only open to Chi-Hi staff and students, so you'll need to log on to your .chipfalls.org account in order to access the form.
• You may encourage peers to vote for a particular choice, including those not currently in a psychology course, though current and former psychology students will likely be the most discerning voters. I will be emailing the form to Psych Club members to encourage them to cast votes as well.

Here's the link: 2016 AP Psychology Social Psych Peep Diorama Contest

Study Resources for Your Social Psych Test

Our LAST unit test in AP Psych will happen on Tuesday. Be sure to finish strong, knowing that doing so is simultaneously preparing you for a major chunk of the AP Psych exam on May 2!

Some resources you might find useful:

• Review this unit's Learning Objectives. Can you do all of these things?
• The MC Study Guide you picked up after your unit quiz
• Why not complete the Days in your 40-Day Packet on Social Psych? (the whole thing is due on Friday, after all)
• Quizlet Flashcards
• Online Practice Multiple Choice Questions
• Crash Course Videos (embedded below). Note: Don't assume passively viewing videos constitutes "studying," be sure to actively process that info by testing yourself on it. Use the testing effect to your advantage!!!!
• Study Session Resources: (posted here soon)
• Which One Doesn't Belong? (Suggested Answers here...)
• Practice FRQ
• Quizizz Review: go to join.quizizz.com and enter game code 939529. This will stay up until the end of the day on 4/26/16.

Notes from Your Social Psych Unit



Crash Course Episode #37: Social Thinking


Crash Course Episode #38: Social Influence


Crash Course Episode #39: Prejudice and Discrimination


Crash Course Episode #40: Aggression v. Altruism

Exploring the Social and Cognitive Roots of Prejudice

Hi.

So, I think I overdid it yesterday by staying late to finish scoring practice tests. Still sick. Still no voice. Blergh. So I'm staying home to (hopefully) recover and also to stop spreading disease, which means the Internet will be teaching you today. My apologies to those of you who want to see your Practice Exam results...they are with me here at my house. I will be sure to show you them on Friday. (Thanks for your patience.)

Be nice to your sub. Odds are, given the sub shortages, it may be someone who is just filling in for a single class period, so they know as much about what is happening in class today as you do right now.

DIRECTIONS

1. Watch the Crash Course Video Below on Prejudice and Discrimination

2. Once you have viewed the video, find a PARTNER to work with. 

It could be your table buddy, or maybe someone else? You are certainly welcome to make a new friend. :) Regardless, you need to find someone to work with because we don't have enough plastic animals for people to work independently...and groups tend to produce Social Loafing, so...yeah.

3. Get a bunch of those plastic figurines we've been working with. The more diverse, the better.

I'm not there right now, and I'm pretty sure those were left on one of the tables near the front of the room, but I don't know for sure. Either way, be resourceful and find them. Remember, SHARING IS CARING, so don't hoard the toys and leave every other group with nothing.

4. With your partner, complete the activity found here. 

You can use your text as a reference if you need (including the extras in the room). Be sure to share this document with me before the end of the hour.

5. IF YOU HAVE TIME REMAINING, you may choose to complete one of the Implicit Association Tests discussed in the video.

Measuring Racism

Today in class we'll be discussing the roots of prejudice and discrimination. For some background, please read through this article: Racial Bias, Even When We Have Good Intentions.

It will provide you with some examples of how psychologists and other social scientists isolate and test for racial biases.

If you would like, after you finish the article you may choose to take an Implicit Association Test (IAT). This is one of the ways researchers have attempted to assess unconscious bias.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Today in class we'll be continuing our discussion of landmark studies in Social Psychology.

After you complete the questions in Socrative, I'd like you to view the video below. It provides a summary of Zimbardo's Prison Experiment. As you watch, please consider the following question:

What ethical concerns were raised by Zimbardo's work?

WARNING: There is some emotionally intense imagery and dialogue in this video.

Voting: Social Psych Peep Dioramas

As we close our unit on Social Psych today, take a moment to vote on your favorite entry in our Peep Diorama contest. In total, I received 27 entries, and I think you'll be impressed with your classmates' creativity and social psych expertise.

You must be logged in to your Chippewa Falls Google account to vote. 

Reviewing for Your Social Psych Test

Once you've rested up after Prom, you'll want to return your attention to preparing for your Social Psych test. You've got an opportunity to finish strong on this last one, so don't neglect it!

Some resources you might find useful:

• The MC Study Guide you picked up after your unit quiz
• Why not complete the Days in your 40-Day Packet on Social Psych? (the whole thing is due on Friday, after all)
• Quizlet Flashcards
• Online Practice Multiple Choice Questions
• Crash Course Videos (embedded below). Note: Don't assume passively viewing videos constitutes "studying," be sure to actively process that info by testing yourself on it. 

Notes from your Social Psych Unit


Crash Course Episode #37: Social Thinking


Crash Course Episode #38: Social Influence


Crash Course Episode #39: Prejudice and Discrimination


Crash Course Episode #40: Aggression v. Altruism

Prejudice and Discrimination: Social Psych Research

In class over the next couple of days, we'll be exploring the social and cognitive factors that lead to prejudice and discrimination. We're going to attempt to answer a few questions about these issues through our work, including:

What evidence is there that prejudice and discrimination persist in modern life?
To see how social scientists explore these issues, we'll read this article.

Secondly, we'll attempt to figure out why prejudice and discrimination appear even when people readily acknowledge such things are wrong and consciously believe they (personally) do not harbor such inclinations?

One area of research that has suggested answers to this second question is the use of Implicit Association Tests, which are described by your text on p. 782. In order to get a sense of how these tests measure implicit bias, you'll have time to complete one in class.

Social Psych Study Resources

This Tuesday you'll take your LAST unit test. It should be a great opportunity to finish strong! To help you with your review, some online study helps:

• Review the Unit Objectives. Can you do all of these things? 
• Of course, there's always Quizlet. Remember, you'll have to apply this vocab to examples. Can you give an example of each of these concepts?
• And, some practice Multiple Choice items. For a shorter quiz, try here. 
• Use your printed study guide that you received in class (more multiple choice practice).

Peep Diorama Contest Entries

Wow. I cannot help but be impressed by all of the interesting and delicious-looking Peep dioramas that were submitted for our contest. There are an intriguing variety of concepts illustrated, so voting will be a challenge!

Take a moment to admire each of the entries. We'll vote in class this week to determine the winner.

Attraction

Bre Nowak illustrates how "averaged" faces are deemed to be most attractive...in Peeps.

 Bystander Effects

David Arneberg's depiction of the tragedy of  Peep bystander effects.

Emily Gullerud shows how the bystander effect reduces helping behavior in Peeps.

Raeann Schwab's scene also illustrates the tragic consequences of Bystander Effects

Hannah Cowan's Peeps are also experiencing the Bystander Effect.

Sam Petefish's Peeps fail to help a stabbing victim. It's Kitty Genovese all over again!

Conformity

Brianna Kopnick's Peeps are attempting to conform to Bunny fashion trends.

Carley Ruff's Peeps cut off their tails to fit in.

Haley Kragness illustrated a Peep color shift as a result of conformity!

Door in the Face Phenomenon

Brooke's Peeps effectively use Door in the Face technique to sell marshmallow bunnies.

Josh Flaig's Peep uses Door in the Face technique to convince his friend to exercise.

Kacie Bertrand illustrates how a Peep might begin the Door in the Face technique during a sales pitch.

Foot in the Door Phenomenon

Taylor Adam's Peep has just used the Foot in the Door phenomenon to scam an Aircraft Carrier from his friend.

Brandon Swim's Peep used the Foot-in-the-Door technique to sell a box of Girl Scout Cookies.

Groupthink

Kolton Hebbring's Peeps are struggling with the discomfort of groupthink.

 Ingroup Bias

Emma Strecker's photoshopping skills are on display in this rap-themed illustration of ingroup bias.

Hadyn Hebert's Peeps each think their own group is superior.

Brennan Schrader's Peeps are at competing conventions across the hall from one another. Serious Ingroup Bias.

Milgram's Obedience Study

Zach Pasano recreates the Milgram study, with Peeps!

Clara Lenhart shows the distress experienced by Peeps in Milgram's obedience study!

Minority Influence

Carter Clay's Peep starts a trend at this Disco-themed dance party!

Normative Social Influence

Janay Gunderman's Peep desperately wants approval from the group.

Prejudice

Morgan Bergeron's Peeps are demonstrating some prejudicial beliefs about other Peeps.

Social Facilitation

Mercedes Antolak's Peeps show us how Social Facilitation helps soccer players do their best.

Social Loafing

Jon Carli's Peeps are failing to contribute to their group project because of Social Loafing.

Kyle Zerbian's Peeps are not making their best effort at a Tug-of-War due to Social Loafing.

Stereotyping

Nicole Crusing's Peeps unfairly stereotype another type of Easter candy.

Zimbardo's Prison Study

Kayla Hanley's Peeps are "good boys gone bad" when assigned to be guards and prisons in Zimbardo's prison study!

Brian Crocker's Peeps participated in the Stanford Prison study and turned "bad."

Peeps Diorama Challenge

These roller-derby Peeps are experiencing Social Facilitation, given the cheering crowd.

With Easter now over, millions of Americans are faced with the same problem: what do I do with all of these Marshmallow Peeps?

Lucky for you, AP Psychology student, there is an answer. Since 1.) Peeps make an effective medium for composing dioramas (note: don't question this premise) and 2.) we are currently studying Social Psychology, there could NOT be a better time to illustrate the principles you are studying by thoughtfully arranging Peeps in heartwarming (or chilling) scenes.

Imagine the tragic impact of the Bystander Effect on a group of Peeps! Or, a startlingly accurate recreation of Milgram's obedience study, with Peeps! Are Peeps susceptible to Social Loafing? You be the judge!

Rules:

1. You must submit (via Tweet or email) your photo of an original Peeps scene that illustrates a principle from the Social Psych Unit.
2. The principle being illustrated must be identified (either in the photo or text of message).
3. Entries will be accepted until midnight on Friday, April 25th.
4. Accurate entries will earn 3 points toward their Social Psych test scores on Tuesday, April 29th. A winning entry will be declared based on votes from classmates. That entry will be awarded 5 points.
5. You can team up, though points will be divided among teammates, so...decide if that's worth it. Remember what Social Loafing is? Yeah...

Study Resources for Your Social Psychology Test

Monday you will be taking your unit test on Social Psychology, so I hope you'll be planning on engaging in some review between now and test day. Especially given that we had a long and luxurious break in the middle of this unit, some refreshing of your memory will undoubtedly be necessary if you are hoping for an optimal performance.

But, NEVER FEAR! I'm including some review tools in this post for your convenience, and I also hope you'll take advantage of the review session scheduled for 5-7 PM on Sunday, April 7. You already received a study guide for this unit's test, but if you're looking for more....

• You might try these additional practice multiple choice questions on Social Psych.
• You could also try some of the challenging review games on Quizlet, or use the flashcards embedded below.

Good luck, everyone!

Phil Zimbardo Shifts Focus from Evil to Heroism

Having spent much of the past week in class detailing Social Psych research that illuminates situational factors that can lead to bad behavior, I was pleased to see this narrated Prezi by Phil Zimbardo, which details his journey from studying evil to studying and promoting heroism.

In it, Dr. Zimbardo describes landmark studies in Social Psychology, including his own Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram's classic obedience study. After outlining all the factors that research has suggested contribute to bad behavior, he describes his current project, the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP).

Can't get enough of Jim Jones and his Creepiness?

This week in class we watched the WGBH American Experience film "Jonestown," which is the story of the People's Temple and its ultimate tragic end in 1978. The film is LITTERED with examples of basic principles of social psychology, and I think my students did a great job identifying them.

For those of you who can't get enough of the People's Temple, Jim Jones, or survivor stories, there are plenty of resources online for you to consult. A great place to start is the film's companion website. The teacher's resources section has links to several different websites that each examine the incident from a different angle, as well as a list of printed resources for futher study. There's also a photo gallery that includes many of the still images seen in the film.

I'd highly recommend the film, though it does involve some very "mature" and disturbing content. My students can attest to the fact that it is shocking and emotional, and extremely well done.

Philip Zimbardo on The Daily Show

Philip Zimbardo - psychologist behind the famed Stanford Prison experiment - appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart a few years ago to promote his book, The Lucifer Effect. In the interview, the two discuss the relevance of the Stanford Prison Experiment to the (then current) Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Worth a view!

The Daily Show - Philip Zimbardo Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Colbert PAC & the Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Today in class we will be discussing persuasive strategies. Particularly, we will address the difference between the central route to persuasion - providing facts and logical arguments to directly convince the audience of the correctness of your position - and the peripheral one.

The peripheral route to persuasion involves indirectly appealing to your audience, often through emotional sounds and images, but sometimes without providing any specific information to support your case. There is nothing inherently good or bad about either strategy, though the audience may respond differently to either approach, depending on the context and the issue being discussed.

Increasingly, political advertisements have taken the peripheral route...appealing to our patriotism and emotions without providing any real information about a candidate's position or the facts surrounding an issue. Late night political comedy shows have picked up on this endless source of material. In the clip below, Stephen Colbert satarizes a particularly outstanding example of these high-impact, low-information ads from former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Recent, Sad Example of Bystander Effect

I was alerted to this story by several psychology teachers via listserves yesterday. I'll admit, even though I'm well aware of the bystander effect and its potential dangers, I still find this story shocking.

An April 24 story in the New York post details the chilling failure of numerous pedestrians to come to the aid of a dying homeless man who had been stabbed when he had recently come to the aid of a female under attack by the stabber. Surveillance video revealed that more than 20 people walked past the dying man as he laid on the sidewalk.

Firefighters found the body of the man more than an hour later when responding to a different call for aid. Apparently, at no point did anyone summoned aid for the man, despite the fact that several passers-by closely examined him (one even took a cell phone photo of the victim).

The story is eerily reminiscent of the 1964 Kitty Genovese case: a murder that took place under the noses of 38 neighbors who heard Ms. Genovese scream and plead for her life, but failed to call the police until after the killer had returned to the scene a third time and fatally stabbed his victim, 25 minutes after the initial attack.

Below is some of the surveillance video. Be aware, you may find it disturbing. I did.

Mistakes Were Made...But Not By Me: Cognitive Dissonance Resources

In my psychology classes today, we will be discussing the concept of cognitive dissonance. The idea - that holding two contradictory beliefs is uncomfortable and that we will change an attitude or behavior to remove the "dissonance" - is behind much of the self-justification we do when we make mistakes.

Many of the most famous studies in Social Psychology involve cognitive dissonance: the Standford Prison Experiment, the Asch conformity study, and Milgrim's obedience study, to name a few.

But public life is also riddled with examples of politicians, celebreties, and plain folks like ourselves engaging in this self-justification, sometimes with dire consequences. My favorite book on the subject, by authors Elliot Aronson and Carol Tarvis, is called Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me (2007). It illuminates the prevalence of this behavior using examples from recent events.

Another great resource for those interested in all aspects of social psychology is the Social Psychology Network. It has TONS (over 17,000!) links to all types of information and organizations related to social psych. Happy surfing!

Can't get enough of Jim Jones and His Creepiness?

Last week in class we watched the WGBH American Experience film "Jonestown," which is the story of the People's Temple and its ultimate tragic end in 1978. The film is LITTERED with examples of basic principles of social psychology, and I think my students did a great job identifying them.

For those of you who can't get enough of the People's Temple, Jim Jones, or survivor stories, there are plenty of resources online for you to consult. A great place to start is the film's companion website. The teacher's resources section has links to several different websites that each examine the incident from a different angle, as well as a list of printed resources for futher study. There's also a photo gallery that includes many of the still images seen in the film.

For the Psych teachers out there following this blog, I'll post the viewing guide I use with my classes tomorrow when I'm back at school. I'd highly recommend the film, whether you use it in class or not. My students can attest to the fact that it is shocking and emotional.

Social Loafing Info

If you're feeling frustrated by a lack of progress on a group project, you're not alone this time of year. Check out this post from PsyBlog about Social Loafing, one of my personal favorite psychological concepts.