Assignment Task:
Part 1: Please answer these questions as best you can. I have the textbook, but I am not so sure how to get it to you.
Instructions for Critical Thinking & Application Prompts:
Each week, you will be presented with a series of critical thinking and application prompts.
You will be directed to the applicable set of prompts by clicking the "Take the Quiz" button below. Prior to starting this assignment, be sure you have carefully reviewed all of the content referenced on the Learning Materials page (and any other pages associated with the module).
Each prompt is generally worthy of at least 250 words (2 - 3 well-written paragraphs) in response. Be sure to connect with (and informally cite in-text) the applicable readings / videos from the module's learning materials.
A note on in-text citing and connecting with the learning materials: As a graduate student in a Master of Science degree program, it's very important that you offer perspectives and arguments that are grounded in theory and the scientific literature - NOT personal opinion or anecdotal evidence. I don't want a works-cited page, but I do want you to clearly cite your sources in-text for the various connections you'll be making between the learning materials and your application thereof. For example, one might write, "While I marveled at the uncanny ability of the psychic to tap into my true personality, the Barnum Effect (Aronson, Chapter 2) could have well explained my feelings..." Be sure to use these informal in-text citations to make your arguments and support your perspectives.
ProTip: You may want to copy the essay questions into a Word doc (or similar), and compose your responses to the worksheet prompts offline. Then you can return to the quiz submission page to "copy and paste" your previously composed responses into the text box associated with each of the prompts. Once you have done that, you can click the "Submit the Quiz" button near the bottom of the screen in order to submit your essay questions for grading. The Critical Thinking & Application essay-based quizzes are set to "single attempt" which means you cannot return to the quiz page to make revisions - so please keep that in mind and only "submit" your quiz when you are satisfied with your work!
Question 1: When are behaviors associated with cognitive dissonance rational? When are they irrational? Describe some examples from your life experience that illustrate the nature of cognitive dissonance. Looking for Assignment Help?
Question 2: Think of a time when you found yourself in the midst of a work-related situation in which you behaved or reacted "out of character"- that is, in a manner very different from your accustomed mode of behavior. Describe the nature of this situation and your feelings regarding your own behavior. Try to make sense of your experience in light of your knowledge of conformity and the power of situational pressures.
Question 3: Within the realm of compliance, securing an initial commitment is key. After making a commitment, people are more willing to agree to requests that are in keeping with that prior commitment. When are commitments most effective? How might you adapt some of the commitment-gaining strategies discussed in the Influence textbook (Chapter 3) into the organizational leadership realm? As a team leader, how might the use of a "team charter" improve project team member commitment and compliance? And, finally, what's your experience with team charters and the team charter development process?
Question 4: What are the three levels of conformity, and what is the primary driver associated with each? Illustrate each of these levels of conformity with an example (ideally from your own organizational / project management experience, but other types of examples are OK if you don't yet have much organizational experience).
Question 5: Imagine that you are having trouble motivating yourself to study for an important exam that is less than a week away. Drawing upon your knowledge of the commitment process, describe what you would do to get yourself to put in the necessary study time. Be sure to explain why your chosen actions ought to work.
Part 2: Overview
Welcome to Module Two!
Module Two is all about self-justification, conformity, and compliance-related behaviors.
What are the social-psychological processes associated with our tendencies to justify our actions, behaviors, and feelings? Is conformity good or bad? Why do people conform to group pressure? Why don't bystanders always come to the aid of victims of injury or crime? How do our biases affect our consistency and commitment in decision-making? These are but a few of the compelling questions we will be exploring in this module.
In Chapter Three of The Social Animal, the main tenets of cognitive dissonance theory are presented briefly and provide a framework for understanding the cognitive and motivational components that underlie self-justification processes. Throughout the chapter, the broad implications of the theory are discussed, as is its application to a multitude of real-world situations and social phenomena.
In Chapter Four of The Social Animal, we take a deep dive into the topic of conformity, defined as a change in a person's behavior or opinions because of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people. As a society, Americans are ambivalent about the merits of conformity-nonconformists or individualists are valued, while deviates and oddballs are scorned. On the other hand, conformists and "sheep" are devalued, while the "team player" is lauded. When the chips are down, however, we tend to value conformity over nonconformity.
Leveraging off your budding understanding of the nature of compliance and conformity-related behaviors, in Chapter Three of Influence: Science and Practice we explore the nature and importance of our perceptions of consistency in our actions and decision-making. You'll discover the importance of commitment, and how commitment is used to automatically shape people's decision-making behaviors.
In Chapter Six of Influence: Science and Practice, we will consider the power of authority in eliciting compliance-related behaviors.
There's a lot to think about in this module, and it's my hope that you are beginning to get a sense of the power of social psychological principles that can be powerfully adapted (for good or evil) by those who seek to influence our behaviors. I hope you enjoy Module Two!
Learning Objectives
You do not have to answer these questions; this is just more information to help with quizzes questions.
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
1. Define self-justification from a social psychological perspective.
2. Relate cognitive dissonance to the idea of self-justification and describe practical applications of cognitive dissonance theory.
3. Describe the factors that increase or decrease one's tendencies to conform.
4. List three levels of conformity and provide examples of approaches to elicit conformity at each level.
5. Discuss the power of authority in eliciting compliance-related behaviors
6. Illustrate four factors that cause commitment-related behaviors to affect a person's self-image and consequent future actions.
7. Discuss the relationship between commitment and consistency.