Sample Critical Thinking On Social Psychology

1. The last time I was helped was when I was ill and did not feel well enough to go to the grocery store for medicine. I texted one of my friends that I was not feeling well and he asked if I needed anything. I gratefully asked him to pick up some aspirin and cough syrup from the pharmacy and bring it to me. He immediately stopped what he was doing and performed this favor for me. My self-esteem did not suffer from this experience. Rather, I felt glad that I had a friend who was able to do this favor for me.
The last time I helped someone was yesterday when I was walking in the park. A young boy was walking a large dog and it pulled the leash from his hands. It started toward me at a dead run and I rushed to intercept it. After a few minutes, we were able to corral the animal in some bushes. The boy was very grateful because the dog may have been injured, lost, or hurt someone.
2. Road rage is a result of a person’s inappropriate reaction to what they perceive to be as
disrespect or creating a danger. Two other situational factors may be running late for an appointment and traffic accidents. In order to reduce incidents of road rage, the government can impose fines for incidences and police can become involved in stopping drivers exhibiting signs of road rage and cite them. Citizens could also become involved by reporting the behavior to the police through calling in license plates and be willing to give a testimony.
3. Parents teach their children aggression through their actions and words. A parent may act aggressively toward another adult or even a child, and the child will perceive it as appropriate. A parent may tell a child not to tolerate bullying and to fight back. Television programs in the household that demonstrate aggression show the parent is supportive of the behavior. Even discussions about incidences where a parent states that violence would have been appropriate are encouraging. Telling a girl that it is not attractive to fight or that she should have a man stand up for her tells her aggression is appropriate for boys and not girls.
4. Identification with a sports team demonstrates participation through vicarious means. Die-hard fans even become overly excited watching an event on television, particularly when other fans are nearby. This type of behavior creates a sense of belonging to a group. An avid fan promotes his allegiance through paraphernalia and clothing. Conversations can become agitated between fans who identify with the success of their teams. Violence can erupt after a game, particularly when the behavior is promoted or participated in by others. Many fans remain faithful despite losses by “their” team because it is a part of their identity.
5. Psychological findings should not be permitted in a courtroom in criminal trials because so much of the therapy is based on objective interpretations by the therapist. It should be admissible to relate past trends in behavior or behavior that follows documented pathology, but for a witness to state an accused person performs an act for a psychological reason is inappropriate. Incidents effect some people in one way, while other react in another. To give psychology credibility for expert witness, it needs to have technological substantiation or consistent documentation of the theory presented.