In: Psychology
2 Applications of Social Psych in Counseling/Clinical Issues GHA#4 Week 4 Name: ____________________________________ Date: ______________________ #1: Pick ONE of the compare/contrast questions and answer in 1-2 detailed paragraphs with supporting answers and citations. CLO1: Analyze: Students will draw connections among ideas by comparing and contrasting the scientific goals, definitions, methods, and concepts while demonstrating their skills in written communication, critical thinking, and information literacy. Compare and contrast these concepts: the social causes of anxiety and depression Compare and contrast these concepts: social phobia and loneliness Compare and contrast these concepts: anticipatory embarrassment and negative outcome expectations #2: Which theory discussed in the chapter was the best theory? Explain your answer with examples. You can also bring in additional background information. CLO2: Comprehend/Evaluate: Students will understand the value of theory and justify their decision for selecting the best social psychological theory covered across 10 application areas based on a set of criteria while demonstrating their skills in written communication, critical thinking, and information literacy. Review this link to help frame your decision: https://www.coursehero.com/file/p4l6k1r/5-criteria-of-evaluating-theories-Scope-Testability-Parsimony-Utility-Heurism-o/ #3 Cognitive biases and distortions: Speedy thinking and decision-making can be great but can also lead us into flawed thinking full of bias. Provide real examples of 2 biases and 2 distortions. CLO3: Apply: The student will use information in new situations while demonstrating their skills in written communication, critical thinking, and information literacy. Select two biases and provide a real-life situation or example that illustrates each understanding of each one. http://mentalfloss.com/article/68705/20-cognitive-biases-affect-your-decisions Select two distortions and provide a real-life situation or example: https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions/ #4. From Self-Awareness to Action: Diluting the distortions and biases. CLO4: Create: Students will produce new works or ideas by formulating practical solutions to social problems while demonstrating their skills in written communication, critical thinking, and information literacy. How would you address, limit, or combat the biases and distortions you discussed in #3. What safeguards, questions, and self-talk would you use to dilute the impact of these biases and distortions
cognitive bias is a systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, where indiviuals tend to create their own "subjective social reality" from their perception of the input. These thinking errors prevent one from accurately understanding reality, even when confronted with all the needed data and evidence to form an accurate view. Thus, cognitive biases may sometimes lead to perceptual distortion, inaccurate judgment, illogical interpretation, or what is broadly called irrationality.
Furthermore, cognitive biases enable faster decisions when timeliness is more valuable than accuracy, as illustrated in heuristics. Other cognitive biases are a "by-product" of human processing limitations, resulting from a lack of appropriate mental mechanisms, or simply from a limited capacity for information processing.
Whereas, Cognitive distortions are exaggerated or irrational thought patterns that are believed to perpetuate the effects of psychopathological states, especially depression and anxiety. Cognitive distortions are thoughts that cognitive therapists believe cause individuals to perceive reality inaccurately. These thinking patterns often are said to reinforce negative thoughts or emotions.
A distortion relates to an argument, whereas, Cognitive biases relate to patterns of thought that may be adopted by an individual for an extended period of time. Both are products of sub-optimal thought that can be shown to be less than rational.
The root causes of fallacies and cognitive biases extend from errors of logic, miscalculation, over-generalization, inaccurate heuristics andhuman factors such as emotion. They can be innocent errors of thought that lead to poor decisions or can be intended to influence and persuade.
Cognitive Bias Examples:
1)if all of your friends believe something, you’re much more likely to believe it as well. That’s not a very rational basis for believing something, but it is something that almost everyone experiences at some point, and it’s a mistake that many people will repeat over and over again in different situations. In philosophy and cognitive science, this error is called “bandwagoning,” and it’s one of the most well-known cognitive biases.
2)One of the most important cognitive biases! This is a tendency to find evidence that supports what you already believe – or to interpret the evidence as supporting what you already believe. Changing your viewpoint is hard cognitive work, and our brains have a tendency to avoid doing it whenever possible, even when the evidence is stacked against us. This is called Confirmation Bias
Cognitive Distortions Examples:
1)Black-and-White Thinking - A person with this dichotomous thinking pattern typically sees things in terms of either/or. Something is either good or bad, right or wrong, all or nothing. Black-and-white thinking fails to acknowledge that there are almost always several shades of gray that exist between black and white. By seeing only two possible sides or outcomes to something, a person ignores the middle—and possibly more reasonable—ground.
2)Discounting the Positive -This extreme form of all-or-nothing thinking occurs when a person discounts positive information about a performance, event, or experience and sees only negative aspects. A person engaging in this type of distortion might disregard any compliments or positive reinforcement he or she receives.