Research is very important to our lives. Scientists use research to learn and understand things in order to make our lives better. They can use research to develop new technologies, teaching techniques, etc. With psychology, scientists research individuals different behaviors and how exposure to certain elements can effect the individual. So many things can be the result of research.
An example of research I found dealt with how groups of people form and how they form so easily. This research is relevant to my life because I see groups everyday. Everyone has seen how groups form. Just look around high school. Everywhere you go you see groups of peopel that seem to hang out often. There are groups that are lifelong friends, groups that are students in the sam class, etc. The research showed that groups can form in seconds and even if the people in that group don't know each other they still favor the group over others. Research has shown that this behavior is due to the fact that we form our own identities from our group memberships. It is natural for us to want to feel that we are of a high status and to have a positive image. For this reason people in groups often put down other groups in order to make their group seem better, thus making them seem better.
Some other things I learned while reading were all the different ways scientist can collect data. They can do case studies, surveys, observe peope, and do experiments. I also learned that we often see patterns in random sequences. I guess I never actually thought about it in depth. When you play cards it always seems like it is so hard to get a good hand, when in reality it is just as likely as getting a bad hand. Another thing I read that I feel connects to my own life is the placebo effect. When I think about it parents use this all the time on their kids. They can persuade their kids to feel better or happier by giving them something that doesn't actually do anything, but they think it does.
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I agree with your example of research. There are alot of different groups that you see everyday, like you said. They form easy by their personalities.They also cut down other groups because they aren't the same as themselves. People are critical of others and are very judgemental.Some people will notice the slightest little thing different from themselves and will put down that person or group of persons. I think the Placebo Effect is very interestin. It's fascinating how a child can be preoccupied by receiving something from their parents when just a minute ago they were complaining about something. That small little gift takes the problem away and makes them most of the time forget all about it. I would like to learn more into detail of how that effect works.
ReplyDeleteI read the example of research that you are talking about also. I think it is interesting how scientist actually did a study on how quickly groups of people form and how easily they will put down others to make themselves feel good.
ReplyDeleteI also like how you mentioned the placebo effect. I liked reading about that and learning more about it because it really relates to our lives almost everyday. For example, if you have a headache and someone gives you a piece of candy and tells you that it is an asprin, your headache will more than likely go away. I think it's really strange that our minds work like that.
I agree that people form groups very easily especially in high school. Some groups are better than others and can benefit people while others are not so good. Our parents definatly use the placebo effect on us especially when we were younger.
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