Social Psychology Individual Journal

FNBE JULY 2013 – PSYC0103 Social Psychology Name: Vicky Lee Wei Kee

Journal

Social Psychology (PSYC0103)

Assignment 1

Vicky Lee Wei Kee (0313317)


Date: 14/10/13 (Mon)

Time: 2.00pm

Concept: Ambivalent Attitudes

Today was the day where my family came over from East Malaysia to visit me. My

dad, my grandfather and my younger brother came all their way from Sabah to Kuala Lumpur

just to visit me after their visit to Miri where my elder brother is pursuing his tertiary education

there in Curtin University, Sarawak. My younger brother had just finished his PMR exam, and

I was eager and happy to get to know that they are finally visiting me for the first time.

I really do miss them as I was away from my hometown for about 3 months and a half

ever since semester 2 has started. According to my mom, my 83-year-old grandfather has never

visited any of his grandchildren, my elder cousins who were away for tertiary education in

West Malaysia and my grandfather first visit my brother and I in Miri and KL respectively. I

was glad to hear that and I really do appreciate the chance of spending more time with my

grandfather, accompanying him more at his age by now. I knew that my father would definitely

ask me to spend one night or two in the hotel with them if it is possible. He told me that they

are staying in Furama Hotel in Bukit Bintang, a five star hotel. Upon hearing this, I was tempted

to go with them. I would like to spend a night in a five-star hotel rather than in my hostel. Im

sick of my hostel where loneliness struck me most of the time. I really feel like joining them

and go shopping with them in Sungei Wang and Berjaya Time Square shopping malls.

However, I was uncertain if I should join my family. I actually have projects and

assignment dues this coming Thursday and Friday and also Maths test on Saturday. My

costume for Culture & Civilisation wasn’t completed and we have a group practice on Tuesday

morning. The group report for Design Visualisation was not done yet and I have not prepare

myself and the slides for presentation this Friday. Moreover, I sucks in Maths and I had not


done any revision for it. If I were to go to spend my nights in the hotel with my family, I cannot

do much of my work. I will be enjoying my life there: going frenzy in a shopping spree,

enjoying TV Shows in the hotel and chit-chatting with my beloved younger brother. But if I

don’t go, I cannot spend more time with my family and I will stuck forever in my hostel, facing

loads of boring assignments and projects. Besides, this is a golden opportunity to meet my

family and it was their first visit to KL.

I was confused and could not make a right decision. In this case, I have shown

ambivalent attitudes. I simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory

feelings and motivations. Alternately I have one opinion or feeling, and then the opposite. At

times I feel like joining my family, spending more time with them but when I think of the

upcoming tests and assignment dues, I cannot make a right choice which I will not regret after

that. Im lacking of confidence and assurance when it comes to making a right choice. I have

mixed emotions as I blamed my family members for coming at the wrong timing and also

blamed myself for not completing my work earlier before their visit to KL. My feelings at this

moment vacillates and fluctuates. In this situation, I am showing ambivalent attitudes.


Date: 09/10/13 (Mon)

Time: 3.00pm

Concept: Observational Learning

There is no doubt that we encounter examples of observational learning all the time and

have likely learnt many things using this method of learning ever since we were young even as

a kid. For instance, when we were still infants, we learnt to make and understand facial

expressions. Slowly, we began to learn to chew, to sit, to crawl, to walk, and to talk. And

observational learning still occurs even when we are adults.

I experienced this myself. Back in my hometown in Sandakan Sabah, there isn’t any

Starbucks Coffee Shop. The only coffee shops we have are Jesselton Coffee and Equater Coffee

Shop and you probably never heard of them. And when I first came to west Malaysia, I had

never visited Starbucks as I know the price of one cup of coffee would probably cost me a

meal. Until one day, my new friend in College suggested us to get one for ourselves at

Starbucks Coffee after class. Since I had never tried one before, I decided to buy one for myself.

At first, I didn’t know how to order and pay for the coffee. So, I observed and learnt how my

friend ordered and paid at the counter before my turn. I then realised that the worker of

Starbucks would asked about your name and write it on your cup. You have to pay first before

you get your coffee, that simple! Then, I waited for my coffee at the other side together with

my friend. When I got my coffee, I didn’t know how and where to get a straw and what should

I add into my coffee. I began to panic. Once again, I observed how the others get their milk,

sugar, teaspoons and straws at the other side. Through observational learning, I finally get to

get myself a cup of coffee from Starbucks!

Observational learning is a social learning that occurs as a function of observing and

retaining the novel behaviour of others. I was able to get my cup of coffee from Starbucks


without being explicitly taught how to do so. It just occurs as a result of observing another’s

behaviour but is performed later and cannot explained as having been taught in other way. In

everyday life, we tend to watch others engage in behaviours and then repeating those actions

and can explain how we acquire attitudes, opinions or specific behaviours.


Date: 12/10/13 (Sat)

Time: 3.00pm

Concept: Social Proof

With a group of friends, we went to GM Klang to buy stuffs and decorations for our

costume project. It was our first time going to GM Klang, a wholesale city in Klang where all

suppliers run their businesses there and that’s why the goods sold are very cheap. After walking

and exploring for 2 hours or more, we all felt hungry and thirsty as our stomach began

rumbling. It was already 1.30pm and we decided to walk outside and look for a restaurant to

dine in. Across the road were two Chinese restaurants, one was crowded with people and the

other with no customers. Automatically we walked into the restaurant which is full of people.

This shows the concept of social proof.

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others

reflect correct behaviour for a given situation. This effect is most noticeable in uncertain

situations where the correct course is not easy to determine, and therefore is determined by

looking at what other people do. We tend to follow others action as an indication of what is

wrong or right. In this case, we are all in an unfamiliar situation, with an unfamiliar place, with

unknown safety of food, but we are all hungry. And of course we would choose the place where

lots of people dine in. After all, there’s got to be a good reason most of the people dine in there

and nobody’s at the other place.


Date: 1/10/13 (Tue)

Time: 7.00pm

Concept: Fear-based Appeals/ Fear Arousal Messages

Just a week before PMR exam, I called up my younger brother, Jeremy to encourage

him to work hard. My mom told me to motivate him to work hard as he was very lazy that time.

I said, “I’m not boasting about how good or excellent I am. I just wanna let you know that I

had scored 8A's, even your lousy brother Jason scored 7A's. So I am expecting you to excel as

well and you do not wish to lose to Jason right. Work hard ya, it's never too late! Don't ever

give up. Wishing you all the best and good luck in exam! I know you can do it!” I said this

rather than just saying, “You have to work harder from now on for your own good. Good luck

in your exam and wishing you all the best!” I (source) used fear-based appeals to motivate

my brother (target) to work hard for coming PMR exam (take specific action). I believed that

this message could actually arouse high levels of fear produce and results in more change in

attitude in Jeremy himself. I knew that he would not want to score a result which is worse than

Jason as he treat his elder brother as rival, never wanting to lose to him in every aspects. This

sarcastic yet motivational message I delivered are persuasive to encourage my brother to strike

and work even harder in his studies and effective to prevent a negative outcome (lazy and

unmotivated in studies).


Date: 18/10/13 (Fri)

Time: 8.00pm

Concept: Operant Conditioning

Today, my roommate told me that she had lost her resident card when she was in the

shuttle bus. And so she went to report this incidence at the management office of our

condominium. The management staff told her fill in a form to make a new one and she was

fined for RM50 for losing the residence card. There are no second chance as this punishment

is written clearly in the terms and conditioning at the back of the card. Operant Conditioning

means using reinforcement or punishment to strengthen or weaken a particular behaviour. In

this case, the high fine of losing the resident card which is a form of punishment weaken the

carelessness behaviour and encourage all residents to be able to take responsible in keeping

their cards safely and properly.

Education

Social Psychology Individual Journal