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Unit 5-Social Self

This document contains a unit outline from Guimaras State College in the Philippines about social relationships. The unit covers social psychology, person perception, social norms, conformity, relationships, attitudes and stereotypes. The objectives are to explain concepts of social relationships, discuss how to enhance relationships, identify factors for meaningful relationships, differentiate acceptable and unacceptable social behaviors, and analyze one's own behaviors to achieve harmonious relationships. The first lesson defines social psychology and person perception, and their objectives are to differentiate acceptable and unacceptable social behaviors and define social psychology and person perception.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
298 views

Unit 5-Social Self

This document contains a unit outline from Guimaras State College in the Philippines about social relationships. The unit covers social psychology, person perception, social norms, conformity, relationships, attitudes and stereotypes. The objectives are to explain concepts of social relationships, discuss how to enhance relationships, identify factors for meaningful relationships, differentiate acceptable and unacceptable social behaviors, and analyze one's own behaviors to achieve harmonious relationships. The first lesson defines social psychology and person perception, and their objectives are to differentiate acceptable and unacceptable social behaviors and define social psychology and person perception.

Uploaded by

Zyra Arca
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Republic of the Philippines

State Universities and Colleges


GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

UNIT 5: Social Self: Relating Harmoniously and Properly with


Everyone
1. Social Psychology and Person Perception
2. Social Norms and Together as a Group
3. Conformity and Social Roles and Social Norms
4. Nature and Depth of Relationships, Attitudes and Stereotypes

Unit Objectives:
At the end of the unit, the students will be able to:

 Explain the basic concepts of social relationships.


 Discuss how relationships with others could be enhanced and improved by applying the ideas on
social relationships.
 Identify and evaluate critical factors for meaningful social relationships.
 Differentiate behaviors that make for acceptable social relationships from those behaviors that are
not acceptable.
 Analyze your behaviors to achieve harmonious relationships with others.

LESSON 1: A. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY


B. PERSON PERCEPTION

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

 Differentiate behaviors that make for acceptable social relationships from those behaviors that are
not acceptable.
 Identify and differentiate definitions of Social psychology; and
 Analyzed that in making person’s perception, one must consider some factors that affect such
behavior.

ACTIVATE
Interview w/ My Self
Make a photo essay and make the below guidelines as your guide questions. The information on
photo essay will be kept strictly confidential.
1. Share in the photo essay certain details about your family with their pictures, including:
a. Name and age of your parents
b. Activities that occupy your parents’ time
c. Number of siblings, and if they are male or female
d. Your ordinal position in the family
e. If there are other relatives living with your family
f. Language/s spoken at home
g. If there are situations or opportunities to talk and exchange ideas among family members
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h. Activities done together (like games, trips, outing, picnics, parties, and movies)
i. Volunteer work, community involvement or church activities
j. Interests, hobbies, talents, skills, or special abilities of your family members
2. Recollect your childhood experiences at home and answer the following:
a. Whom did you first play with?
b. Outside of the home, who were your first playmates?
c. Did you enjoy playing with your siblings, neighbors, friends, or relative?
d. Were there times when you were involved in fights with your playmates? How did you feel about
these instances?

3. Recall your first day of online class in college and answer the following:
a. What experiences particularly come to mind?
b. How do you communicate with your teachers and classmates?
c. What did you talk about? In what language did you communicate?
d. What did you feel at that time?

ACQUIRE

A. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

History of Social Psychology


Early Influences
Aristotle believed that humans were naturally sociable, a necessity which allows us to live
together (an individual centered approach), whereas Plato felt that the state controlled the individual and
encouraged social responsibility through social context (a social-centered approach).[ CITATION Sau07 \l
1033 ]

Hegel (1770–1831) introduced the concept that society has inevitable links with the development
of the social mind. This led to the idea of a group mind, important in the study of social psychology.
Lazarus & Steinthal wrote about Anglo-European influences in 1860. “Volkerpsychologie”
emerged, which focused on the idea of a collective mind. It emphasized the notion that personality
develops because of cultural and community influences, especially through language, which is both a
social product of the community as well as a means of encouraging particular social thought in the
individual. Therefore Wundt (1900–1920) encouraged the methodological study of language and its
influence on the social being.[ CITATION Sau07 \l 1033 ]

What is Social Psychology?


Many things may come to mind when you hear the word “social.” Generally, this term has
something to do with relating well or interacting with others. The study of social relationship or
interaction is called social psychology. [CITATION Arc18 \l 1033 ]

There are many approaches to understanding how people think, feel, and behave. We can learn
about human behavior from novels, film, history, and philosophy, to name just a few possibilities. What
make social psychology different from these artistic and humanistic endeavors is that social psychology is
a science.[ CITATION Sau16 \l 13321 ]

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are
influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others (Allport 1998). By this definition,
scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
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include all of the psychological variables that are measurable in a human being. The statement that others
may be imagined or implied suggests that we are prone to social influence even when no other people are
present, such as when watching television, or following internalized cultural norms. [CITATION Mag20 \l
1033 ]

Lahey (2007) defines social psychology as a branch of psychology that studies individuals as
they interact with others. While Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian (2014) states that social psychology is a
broad field whose goal is to understand and explain how thoughts, feelings, perception, and behaviors are
influenced by the presence of, or interaction with others. People interact and behave in a certain ways
when they are at home with their family, or when they are in school with their classmates and teachers, or
when are at work with they with their superiors of fellow workers. In addition, Gerrig and Zimbardo
(2002) define social psychology as the study of the effect of social factors or individual behavior,
attitudes, perceptions, and motives. It is likewise the study of behaviors as influenced by interactions and
transactions between persons. Social Psychology is the study of group and intergroup phenomena.
The key words in the aforementioned definitions are interaction and relationships. Interaction
refers to the mutual and reciprocal exchange of communication or action between two or more persons or
groups. On the other hand, relationship refers to a particular way in which two or more individuals,
group, or even countries talk to, behave toward, or deal with each other. There is an established
connection, kinship, or attachment between persons or groups attributable to several factors- interests,
philosophy of life, goals, or ways of thinking that bind them together.

There is a fine line between interaction and relationship. Interaction is always a component of a
relationship. On the other hand, a relationship includes not only the kind of interaction between the
members of the group, but also the intellectual, psychological, or even emotional investments made by
the parties to develop and maintain the relationship. More often, the participants in a relationship agree to
do something similar to each other or even allow the same rights, privileges, or benefits arising from any
action that they both undertake. Interaction and relationship can be represented along continuum, from a
simple and brief exchange between individuals or groups to a continuing communication and investments
to sustain the connection. [ CITATION Arc18 \l 1033 ]

B. PERSON PERCEPTION
Person perception refers to a general tendency to form impressions of other people. Some forms
of person perception occur indirectly and require inferring information about a person based on
observations of behaviors or based on second-hand information. Other forms of person perception occur
more directly and require little more than seeing another person. Both of these types of person perception
provide a foundation from which subsequent judgments are formed and subsequent interactions are
shaped.[CITATION Psy201 \l 1033 ]

In psychology, person perception according Plotnick & Kouyoumdjian (2014) refers to forming
impressions and making judgments about another person’s likability after seeing or meeting him/her. The
assessment involves as well what kind of person one is, including his/her intentions, trait, and behavior.
While according to Macrae & Quadflieg (2010) person perception refers to the first impressions, which
are formed within a very short period of time with little conscious thought and biased by past experiences.
Several other factors influence one’s judgment or perception of another person. One important
aspect is physical appearance. A person who rarely smiles may be thought of as arrogant or unfriendly.
Sometimes, when an individual forms an opinion on a person based on perception, he/she tries to justify
or explain the said judgment. For instance, rather than simply looking at the other person, the observer
tries to explain or look for reason why the other person dresses or behaves in a certain way.
People usually use external appearance as immediate basis for assessing, judging, or evaluating
others. However, it is wrong to judge the character of a person on the basis of first impressions because
biases and errors may occur. It is advisable to always validate one’s perception through further
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GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

observations, gathering of feedback and reports, and interaction, among others before making judgment.
To avoid misperception, it is prudent to behave, talk, or dress appropriately and in accordance with
societal, cultural, or institutional rules, policies, or guidelines. [ CITATION Arc18 \l 1033 ]

APPLICATION

1. Which picture do you like better? Justify your answer.


_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. What are your initial thoughts or ideas about the teacher on the left?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. How about the teacher on the right?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. If you were the teacher in the pictures, how would you want to be dressed?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Apart from what you see in these pictures, are there other ways you would want to be dressed?
Describe it and explain your reason for your choice.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT
Direction: Identify who is being asked in the question. Write your answer in the space provided.
1. ____________________________ and 2. _____________________ states that social psychology is a
broad field whose goal is to understand and explain how thoughts, feelings, perception, and behaviors are
influenced by the presence of, or interaction with others.
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3. He felt that the state controlled the individual and encouraged social responsibility through social
context. __________________________________________________________________
4. Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are
influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others._____________________
5. ___________________ and 6. ____________________ define social psychology as the study of the
effect of social factors or individual behavior, attitudes, perceptions, and motives.
7. Believed that humans were naturally sociable, a necessity which allows us to live
together.____________________________________________________________________________
8. According to ___________________and 9. ___________________, person perception refers to the
first impressions, which are formed within a very short period of time with little conscious thought and
biased by past experiences.
10. He introduced the concept that society has inevitable links with the development of the social mind
which led to the idea of a group mind.____________________________________

References:
Ariola, Mariano M. (2018). Understanding the Self. Intramuros, Manila
Brawner, Dalisay R. & Arcega, Analiza F. (2020). Understanding the Self. Quezon City
Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework. (2020). Psychology-Person Perception. Retrieved August
25, 2020 from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/social-cognition/person-
perception/

Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework. (2020). Psychology-Social Psychology. Retrieved August


25, 2020 from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/

LESSON 2: A. SOCIAL NORMS


B. TOGETHER AS A GROUP

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

 Identify what are the social norms and could give examples of them.
 Analyzed why it is important for a person to work with a group of people.
 Evaluate and change their behavior when they are working with a group of people.

ACTIVATE
Go to YouTube and look for the song “No Man is an Island” by Joan Whitney and Alex Krammer.
Reflect on the meaning of the song.
1. What can you say about the song?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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State Universities and Colleges
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Buenavista, Guimaras

2. Which line that strikes you? Why?


_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

ACQUIRE
Norms are patterns or traits characterized as typical or usual for a group. Other terms associated
with norms are “average” and “normal.” For example, an individual’s mathematics score may be
considered above the norm if it is more than the average score or below the norm if it is less than average.
Norms change over time. Many years ago, mother stay at home to care for their children; women
wear only dresses and skirt in attending church service; or couples raise big families. Today, these are no
longer the norms due to changes in many factors such as the financial, moral, social, or psychological
aspects of society.

A. SOCIAL NORMS
Social Norms refers to spoken and unspoken rules for behaving in particular situations. One
example is covering one’s mouth when sneezing or coughing. Most people conform to the social norms of
the culture in which they exist.
Norms in social behavior serve to guide or regulate the manner in which people conduct
themselves. Behaviors have to be controlled or regulated because of social consequences. It is one’s
responsibility to make sure that his/her behavior does not hurt, offend, or disturb other people. [ CITATION
Arc18 \l 1033 ]

Observing norms in social behavior is expected of members of a group and the larger society in
general. Doing so ensures and maintains good relationships within the group.
Every day, people engage in social situation which require interaction with others from different
walks of life and for many reasons. In these instances, people are expected to behave based on defined
and established norms. It is advisable for a person to always practice appropriate behaviors especially in
social situations so as not to disturb or offend others. He/she should make sure that interactions with
others enhance or improve relationships. Every effort should be exerted to maintain and enjoy
harmonious and good relationship.[CITATION Arc18 \l 1033 ]

Examples of Social Norms


There are many social norms widely accepted in western society. They can range from ones
expected while in public to ones that are in regards to dining or being on a phone.
Social Norms Regarding Public Behavior
To make a good impression on other members of your community there are social norms that are
commonly accepted, such as:
 Shake hands when you meet someone.
 Make direct eye contact with the person you are speaking with.
 Unless the movie theater is crowded, do not sit right next to someone.
 Do not stand close enough to a stranger to touch arms or hips. Don't invade someone's personal
space.
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 Do not curse in polite conversation and always avoid racist or discriminatory comments.
 Do not pick your nose in public and if you must burp or fart say "excuse me."
 Be kind to the elderly, like opening a door or giving up your seat.
 If there is a line, go to the back of the line instead of pushing or cutting your way to the front.
 If you hit or bump into someone by accident, say "I'm sorry."
 If someone sneezes near you, say "bless you."
 When at someone else's home, ask permission to do things such as turning on the television or
using the bathroom.
 Flush the toilet after use and always wash your hands when finished.
 Say "please" when asking for something and say "thank you" when someone does something for
you.
 Call to let someone know you will be late or are not going to show up for an appointment.
 Dress appropriately for the environment you are in.
 Don't interrupt someone while they are talking. Wait for them to finish and then take your turn.

Social Norms While Using the Phone


Being on a phone, especially a smartphone, is something we all do now throughout the day. The
following are examples of social norms when using a phone.
 Say hello when answering and goodbye before you hang up.
 Don't take a phone call during dinner, either in public or at home.
 Put your phone on silent if you are in a meeting, at church, in a theater or in a public setting
where phones are not to be used.
 Do not lie or hang up if someone has the wrong number. Inform them of their mistake.
 Don't text while on a date or engaged in a conversation with another person.
Social Norms When Dining Out
When dining out at a restaurant there are social norms that are commonly expected from the diner.
These include:
 Leave a tip for the waiter or waitress. The tip should be at least 15% of the bill.
 Chew with your mouth closed and avoid making loud sounds while chewing.
 Do not talk with food in your mouth.
 Dress according to the restaurant's dress code.
 Do not eat soup with a fork.
 Do not belch loudly at the table.
 Do not eat sloppily or quickly or use your hands unless it is finger food.
 Do not eat off another person's plate without asking.
 Always thank your server.
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 Do not be loud or vulgar or disturb other diners.


Social Norms on Elevators
Whether you realize it or not, there are even norms that apply to riding on an elevator. These norms
are expected and mostly common sense. Examples include:
 Acknowledge others in the elevator with a simple nod or say hi.
 Stand facing the front. Do not turn around and face other passengers.
 Never push extra buttons, only the one for your floor.
 Never stand right by someone if you are the only two people on board. You do not want to make
anyone feel as if you are invading their space.
 Do not act obnoxiously on the elevator.
 Do not say "I'll wait for the next one" if only one person is on board.

Social Norms in the Classroom and School


Students learn from an early age that there are certain norms to follow while in class or at school.
Some examples include:
 Do not use a cellphone during class. Texting and making calls are not appropriate in class time.
 Ask the teacher if you can be excused during class to use the restroom. Never just get up and
leave.
 Do not listen to music with headphones.
 Do not sit in other people's assigned chairs.
 Come to class prepared with book, paper, pen, etc.
 Never read other material during class.
 Stand up to bullies and do not allow others to be bullied.
 Do not be rude to teachers or your classmates.
 Arrive to class on time.
Social Norms in the Workplace
In the professional world, there are social norms to follow to make the workplace function smoothly.
These include the following:
 Dress neatly and appropriately for the job.
 Be on time and follow the schedule that you are given.
 Keep a positive attitude and do not engage in gossip.
 Be professional and contribute your skills as needed.
 Notify supervisors if you are sick and unable to make work.
 If you need to leave early, notify your boss and make proper arrangements.
 Be respectful of your coworkers.
Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
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Buenavista, Guimaras

Gender Specific Social Norms


There are certain norms expected for each gender that have existed for a long time. While these are
examples of norms that have changed over time and are still changing, they still persist in many
communities. Many of the gender norms are stereotypes and can be considered discriminatory. Some
examples of gender-specific norms include the following:
 Girls wear pink; boys wear blue.
 Men should be strong and not show emotion.
 Women should be caring and nurturing.
 Men should do repairs at the house and be the one to work and make money while women are
expected to take care of the housework and children.
 A man should pay for the woman's meal when going out to dinner.

Differences in Social Norms


Keep in mind that these examples are social norms in western society. Social norms vary between
countries and from social class to social class and from social group to social group. Each group can share
many of the same social norms; and, the group may have a few special norms. As you move from country
to country and group to group it is up to you to know, and implement, the appropriate social norms.
[ CITATION You \l 1033 ]

B. TOGETHER AS A GROUP
On many occasions, people work in groups. Students organize into a study groups to solve
problem together when reviewing for an exam. Teachers meet with each other to discuss methods to
improve teaching and learning strategies. Farmers work together during the planting and harvesting of
palay. Employees in an office work as a team. Given this situations, it may be said that people work
together for a purpose. In many cases, the task becomes easier to accomplish because more people
contribute to solve the problem as compared to only one person doing the task.
In social situations where people work and do things together for a purpose, two things may
happen. First, the social facilitation which means that the performance of each member of the group is
improved (Levine, Resnick, & Higgins, 1993). For example, your group will compete in a relay in
running, in order to win against the other group each runner in your team will exert his/her best effort to
pass the baton to the next runner. Second, social loafing means that working or being with a group
reduced individual’s effort. For instance, if a group of students is asked to solve a problem, some
members of the group may no longer try their best to contribute to the solution because they feel that
there are others who can do it better. Likewise, individual members may not contribute as much in doing
the task because they think it should be left to the more able member of the group.
One has to bear in mind that in a group, it is important that each member exerts his/her best effort
to facilitate the attainment of the objectives of the group as a whole. This is regardless of the number of
participants in the group.

APPLICATION
Describe how you are expected to behave and interact with other people in each of these
situations. You may consider the following factors: volume of your voice, dress code, general behavior.
1. Attending a formal party
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Buenavista, Guimaras

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Studying in the library


_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Eating lunch in a restaurant


_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Attending a picnic outdoor
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Attending a class
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6. Meeting a new friend
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Watching a basketball game
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. Participating in a game
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. Attending church services
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10. Cheering for a team in a game
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ASSESMENT
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GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

Determine if the behavior is appropriate (A) or (I) inappropriate in the given social situation
considering societal, cultural, or institutional guidelines.
_______ 1. Sharing stories with friends in the library
_______ 2. Laughing during a religious service
_______ 3. Joking with friends in a picnic
_______ 4. Keeping quiet inside the church
_______ 5. Listening quietly during a piano recital
_______ 6. Speaking in soft tones during a party
_______ 7. Speaking in modulated voice while attending conference
_______ 8. Laughing loudly while waiting at the doctor’s office
_______ 9. Wearing short pants for an interview with an employer
______ 10. Wearing the required uniform in the office
______ 11. Laughing loudly in the classroom
______ 12. Talking softly with family members at the dinner table
______ 13. Cheering for one’s team in a basketball game
______ 14. Arguing loudly with an officemate
______ 15. While queuing, complaining that service is taking too long

References:
Ariola, Mariano M. (2018). Understanding the Self. Intramuros, Manila
Brawner, Dalisay R. & Arcega, Analiza F. (2020). Understanding the Self. Quezon City
Cruz, Elline Regina., Magalona, Ethel D., Sadsad, Evelyn S. (2019). Understanding the Self. Intramuros,
Manila
Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework. (2020). Psychology-Person Perception. Retrieved August
25, 2020 from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/social-cognition/person-
perception/

Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework. (2020). Psychology-Social Psychology. Retrieved August


25, 2020 from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/
Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

LESSON 3: A. CONFORMITY
B. SOCIAL ROLES AND SOCIAL NORMS

Lesson Objectives:

 Explain the persons’ behavior when he/she is in the group.


 Discuss how human being behave in the society.
 Differentiate behaviors that make for acceptable social relationships from those behaviors that are
not acceptable.
 Analyze persons’ behaviors to achieve harmonious relationships with others.

This lesson discusses how the person behave when they are under the group pressure. It also
focuses on the person’s ability to behave and cope with different situations in life.

ACTIVATE

Test of Conformity on Your Own Psychology Experiment

Imagine this scenario:


You're in a math class, and the instructor asks a basic math question. What is 8 x 4? The teacher
begins asking individual students in the room for the answer. You are surprised when the first student
answers 27. Then the next student answers 27. And the next!
When the teacher finally comes to you, do you trust your own math skills and say 32? Or do you
go along with what the rest of the group seems to believe is the correct answer? Discuss briefly your
decision.[ CITATION Che201 \l 1033 ]

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

ACQUIRE
A. CONFORMITY
Why We Conform?
As much as most people like to think of themselves as unique individuals, in reality, humans are
social beings and for the sake of group cohesion, people are evolutionarily driven to fit in. That usually
means copying the actions of others, looking to the group when deciding how to think or behave, or doing
what is "expected" based on widely accepted (if often unspoken) social norms.
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Though it's often derided, conformity isn't necessarily a malevolent force. At its best, conformity offers a
sense of belonging and group identity and can encourage people to adhere to moral standards. At its
worst, though, it can bring out a person's darkest impulses and even be used to justify and carry out large-
scale atrocities. [ CITATION Psy20 \l 1033 ]

Conformity refers to yielding to group pressure to act as everyone does, even when no direct
request has been made (Lahey, 2009). It is the tendency to behave like others in the group do.
Conformity involves changing your behaviors in order to “fit in” or “go along” with the people
around you. In some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of
people in a specific group, or it might involve behaving in a particular way in order to be perceived as
“normal” by the group.[ CITATION Che202 \l 1033 ]

Conformity is brought about by two motivations; and to gain reward (approval) or avoid
punishment (disapproval); and to gain information.

Some factors make conformity more likely to exist in a group (Lahey, 2009):
1. Size of the group- the more people in the group, the more likely a member tends to conform.
2. Unanimous group- conformity is highest when an individual faces a group in which all members
feel the same way about a topic, a problem, or an issue.
3. Culture- conformity occurs in all cultures. However, some cultures emphasize the welfare of the
individual; thus, people are less conforming. Others focus on collective welfare so people tend to
be more conforming. A high degree of conformity leads to faster accomplishment of a task or
work.
4. Gender- in the past, females were more likely to conform than males, but research has shown that
it is no longer the case (Eagly, 1978; Eagly & Johnson, 1990).

In social groups, the likelihood of conformity among members is very high. However, individual
members are not expected to always yield to the pressure to conform. An individual member can decide
for himself/herself whether or not to conform and to what extent. The decision to yield to group pressure
should be based on answers to any of the following questions:
1. Will conforming do you good? What advantages or rewards will you get from it?
2. Will conforming put at stake or endanger your integrity and that of your family?
3. Will it cost much on your part if you conform?
4. Will things change if you yield/ do not yield to social pressure?
As a member of a social group, one has to subscribe to basic and established rules, policies, or
guidelines for him/her to truly belong. If all members of the group live by these institutionalized
requirements, then order, discipline, system, peace, and harmony will be sustained.

B. SOCIAL ROLES AND SOCIAL NORMS


People are social animals and are almost always in the company of others. Being in a group can
be both advantageous and disadvantageous. For example, support group can provide emotional help and
comfort. Moreover, the effects of stress can be reduced considerably by strong social support. While
groups have both negative and positive effects on behaviors, individuals should not avoid groups, but
instead make the best out of being in them. As a member of society, each person has a role to play, which
may support or complement the roles of other people he/she interacts with.
Social roles specify the part or position of a person in society. It also specifies behavior expected
to be exhibited by an individual in practicing his/ her role. Whether aware or not, a person may play
several roles, each of which influences the behavior of another individual. For example, a father may play
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the role of a parent, a spouse, a middle-aged man, a person of Filipino ancestry, a brother, a son, a
mathematics professor, and a like. An individual’s behavior undergoes changes so as to meet the expected
behavior of every role he/she plays in particular circumstances. Thus, when a mother is at home, she
plays the role of a parent; if she is in the office as the manager, then she plays the role of a boss.
It is important to note that social roles plays an important and positive role in society. Without
these delineated roles, a student, for example, will not know what to expect from his/her teacher.
Understanding the roles of others, as well as those of one’s own, facilitate people’s ability to work
together towards the common good. When people work together in groups, the efforts of the different
members need to be coordinated with those of others to prevent chaos. This scenario is where the social
roles come in.[CITATION Placeholder1 \l 1033 ]

A Sociogram indicates the social structure of a group and the relationship of people within that
group. It shows who are popular, isolates, islands, and mutual friend.

APPLICATION
During the COVID19 pandemic, everyone is experiencing rapid change. Many of the rules,
policies or guidelines of the government changes from time to time. Write down the rules and regulation
you recall. Reflect on them and write an essay guided by the questions below.
a. What did you think about these rules, policies, or guidelines?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
b. How did you feel when you were asked to follow the rules, policies, or guidelines of the government?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
c. Are you complying with these requirements now? How and Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

d. Are there certain rules that you are not comfortable with? What are these? In what ways are you coping
with such situation?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
e. What can you say about the frontline people such as the doctors, nurses, medical technologists,
government officials etc.?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Buenavista, Guimaras

ASSESSMENT
Direction: Discuss your perception on the following individual:
1. A student change the way she dresses because she wants to fit in with the rest of the girls in her social
group.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. A 20- year-old college student drinks at a fraternity party because all his friends are doing it and he
does not want to be the odd one out.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Note: Your essay will be graded based on the following rubric. Please use this as a guide while answering
your essay questions above.

Excellent- 10 points Good- 5 points Poor- 3 points


Content The essay contains all the The essay discusses the The essay lacks of
necessary answers and the answer but the main idea is answers and the main
main idea is clearly stated. not so clear. idea is not clearly
stated.
Excellent- 6 points Good- 3 points Poor- 1 points
Organization The answer is relevant and The answer is relevant but The answer is not so
presented in a logical order. not logically arranged. relevant and the ideas
are rambling.

Excellent- 4 points Good- 2 points Poor- 1 points


Timeliness The essay has been The essay has been The essay has been
submitted on or before the submitted a day after the submitted very late
deadline deadline

References:
Brawner, Dalisay R. & Arcerga, Analiza F. (2020). Understanding the Self. Quezon City
Kendra, Cherry. (2020). How Does Conformity Influence Behavior. Retrieved October 1, 2020 from
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-conformity-2795889
Kendra, Cherry. (2020). How to Test Conformity With Your Own Psychology Experiment. Retrieved
August 27, 2020 from https://www.verywellmind.com/conformity-experiment-2795661
Psych2go. (2014). According to Sternberg’s Love Theory, There are Three Components of Love:
Commitment, Passion and Intimacy. Retrieved August 27, 2020 from https://psych2go.net/according-
sternbergs-love-theory-three-components-love-commitment-passion-intimacy/
Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

Psychology Today. (2020). Conformity. Retrieved August 27, 2020 from


https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/conformity

LESSON 4: A. NATURE AND DEPTH OF RELATIONSHIPS


B. ATTITUDES
C. STEREOTYPES

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

 Identify different types of love they are receiving from significant people in their lives.
 Understand that depth relationship matters in interacting and communicating with others.
 Portray positive attitudes towards other people as they understand how attitudes influence
relationships.

ACTIVATE
Write your own poem or an essay or a song about your experienced being loved by your family
or by a significant person in your life.
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ACQUIRE
A. NATURE and DEPTH OF RELATIONSHIP
Relationships are among the most important aspects of our lives. They can be positive or
conflicted, but the lack of relationships could be the worst of all, as it creates loneliness.
Familiarity
Familiarity refers to being comfortable with another person and is a necessary condition for a
close relationship to develop. Friends and lovers are those who have been around together for so long;
who have grown together; who have gone to school together. Research has shown that people like to
associate with others who are similar to them in terms of the following: attitudes, behavior patterns,
personal characteristics, taste in fashion or clothes, intelligence, personality, and the like.[CITATION
Placeholder1 \l 1033 ]

Attraction
What attracts someone to another person? What makes people spend more time with each other
or with one another? Is physical attraction important at the early stages of a relationship?
Attraction may lead to deeper relationship (Santrock, 2003). One person may be drawn or
attracted to another due to reasons like similarities or differences in interests, personality characteristics,
life goals, and lifestyles, to name a few. Attraction paves the way for enjoying the company and being
comfortable with the other person, and for feeling of ease and confidence.[CITATION Placeholder1 \l 1033
]

Love
Love is a special attachment one has for himself/herself of for somebody else. It is an intense
feeling of deep or constant affection and emotion in which a person always sees to the good, happiness
and welfare of the other.
Three of the most common kinds of love are as follows
1. Romantic Love. Also called passionate love, it includes intermingling of different emotions: fear,
anger, desire, joy, and jealousy, among others. Poets and musician laud the fiery passion of romantic love
and the pathos and pain when it fails. It is one of the major reasons for getting married. In a study by
Berscheid, Snyder, and Omoto in 1989, college students chose a romantic partner, rather than a parent or
a sibling, as their closest relationship. This result suggests that college students put a higher premium on
romantic relationships.
2. Affectionate Love. Also referred to as Companionate love, it is the type of love that occurs when
someone has deep and caring affection for a person and desires to have him/her near constantly.
3. Consummate Love. It is the strongest and fullest type or love (Sternberg, 1985). This ideal form of
love involves passion, intimacy, and commitment.

The Triangular Theory of Love


In 1985, Robert Sternberg postulated that love is made up of three components: passion, intimacy, and
commitment. Passion has something to do with physical and sexual attraction to another. Intimacy is
characterized by emotional feelings of warmth, closeness, and sharing of the relationship. Commitment is
the cognitive appraisal of the relationship and the intent to maintain it even in the face of problems. One
or a combination of these ingredients forms a kind of love or love-like feeling.[CITATION Placeholder1 \l
1033 ]
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[ CITATION Acc14 \l 1033 ]

Figure 4. Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

Some interpretations on the illustration are as follows:


 If passion is the only ingredient present, the feeling is infatuation, as in a fling or an affair.
 Intimacy and commitment without passion show affectionate love.
 The combination of passion and commitment without intimacy results in fatuous love.
 Consummate love is achieved if all three components are present.

Every person is capable of loving. Without love, people become lonely and social relationships suffer.
There are many ways of showing love, and they could vary in form and in depth. People who freely share
and give love, and are loved in return, are happy people.[CITATION Placeholder1 \l 1033 ]

B. ATTITUDES

Attitudes are beliefs that predispose people to act and feel in certain ways towards people,
objects, or ideas. They can either be positive or negative. A positive attitude is reflected in a happy,
pleasant, or optimistic disposition. On the other hand, a negative attitude is associated with pessimism or
a general feeling of dislike. The three distinct features of an attitude include belief, feelings, and
disposition.
For example, the negative attitude of a person towards sidewalk vendors can be described by:
a. a belief that sidewalk vendors are dishonest;
b. a strong dislike for sidewalk vendors; and
c. a refusal to buy from sidewalk vendors.

How Attitudes Originate

Generally, attitudes of a person develop over time and have emotional components. However,
they are normally acquired from two sources -first-hand experience and accounts by others.

People develop positive or negative attitudes towards certain an object because of a direct
experience with it. For instance, a child who was severely bitten by a cat will perhaps be traumatized and
will develop a phobia or dislike for cats which may persist until adulthood. Likewise, a person who has
had many enjoyable experiences in school will tend to have a positive attitude towards school.

Attitudes are also learned from others through modeling and reinforcement. If parents show
positive attitudes towards certain ethnic groups by socializing with them, their children will develop the
same attitudes towards these groups. The same thing happens when parents discriminate against certain
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groups. This attitude reinforces or strengthens children's prejudices or biases.[CITATION Placeholder1 \l


1033 ]

Persuasion and Attitude Change


Attitudes are not permanent. They can be changed or modified even after they have been formed.
Persuasive communication plays a big part in this process. The extent of change in the attitude depends
on the speaker, the message, and the listener. If the speaker is a credible source of information, he/she is
more likely to persuade a person to change or modify his/her attitude. The more credible the speaker is,
the more persuasive the message becomes. Moreover, speakers tend to be less persuasive if their intention
to change a person's views is obvious, more so if the speaker will gain something by changing one's
opinion. An attractive speaker is also more effective in changing opinions than an unattractive speaker,
but it seems to be limited to trivial or unimportant issues. Certain characteristics of the message also lead
to attitude change. Messages that contain the element of fear seem more able to persuade changes in
attitude or thoughts.[CITATION Placeholder1 \l 1033 ]

C. STEREOTYPES
Stereotypes are generalizations in which the same traits or characteristics are assumed to be
possessed by all members of a group (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2002). Stereotypes affect people's day to-day
interactions and decisions. Some stereotypes are based on an outsider's experience with a number of
people in a group, which were concluded as encompassing of all members of the group and oftentimes
proven inaccurate. Some examples include the following statements: Ilocanos are tightwads; Visayans are
fun-loving; Kapampangan women cook better than other groups of women; Asians are the worst drivers
in the world.
Negative stereotypes are accompanied by prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice is an unfair,
biased, or intolerant attitude or opinion towards the members of a group. An example is the opinion that
overweight women are not as intelligent as women of normal weight. Acting on prejudice leads to
discrimination. Discrimination is the specific unfair behavior or treatment towards the members of a
group. An employer refusing to hire women because of their gender is an example of discrimination.
Discrimination against people based on their skin color or ethnic heritage is called racism, while
discrimination against people because of their gender is referred to as sexism.
Challenges in life are inevitable. They can result in two things: either the person comes out
stronger to face another challenge or he/she feels defeated or discouraged. The outcome boils down to the
person's attitude, which determines how one looks at life events, people, and reality. Thus, a person
should strive to develop positive attitudes rather than negative ones.[CITATION Placeholder1 \l 1033 ]

APPLICATION
Watch “Inspiring Video on Positive Attitude” by AKP Studios on YouTube. It is a video on one
facet of the life of American President Abraham Lincoln.
1. Identify the significant failures in the life of President Abraham Lincoln.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. What did he do to overcome his failures?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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3. Describe the personality of President Lincoln relative to the failures he experienced.


_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT
Direction: Identify what is being asked. Write your answers in the space provided.
1. One person may be drawn or attracted to another due to reasons like similarities or differences in
interests, personality characteristics, life goals, and lifestyles, to name a
few.________________________________________
2. It is a belief that predispose people to act and feel in certain ways towards people, objects, or ideas.
They can either be positive or negative.___________________________
3. It has something to do with physical and sexual attraction to another._________________
4. Refers to being comfortable with another person and is a necessary condition for a close relationship to
develop.__________________________________
5. It is characterized by emotional feelings of warmth, closeness, and sharing of the
relationship.____________________________________
6. It is also called passionate love, it includes intermingling of different emotions: fear, anger, desire, joy,
and jealousy, among others._____________________________________
7. It is an unfair, biased, or intolerant attitude or opinion towards the members of a
group.___________________________
8. It is the specific unfair behavior or treatment towards the members of a
group._______________________
9. It is associated with pessimism or a general feeling of dislike. The three distinct features of an attitude
include belief, feelings, and disposition.___________________________________
10. It is the strongest and fullest type or love. This ideal form of love involves passion, intimacy, and
commitment.______________________________________

References:
Brawner, Dalisay R. & Arcerga, Analiza F. (2020). Understanding the Self. Quezon City
Kendra, Cherry. (2020). How Does Conformity Influence Behavior. Retrieved October 1, 2020 from
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-conformity-2795889
Kendra, Cherry. (2020). How to Test Conformity With Your Own Psychology Experiment. Retrieved
August 27, 2020 from https://www.verywellmind.com/conformity-experiment-2795661
Psych2go. (2014). According to Sternberg’s Love Theory, There are Three Components of Love:
Commitment, Passion and Intimacy. Retrieved August 27, 2020 from https://psych2go.net/according-
sternbergs-love-theory-three-components-love-commitment-passion-intimacy/
Psychology Today. (2020). Conformity. Retrieved August 27, 2020 from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/conformity
Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

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