Social Loafing in Many of My Labs

¶ … social loafing in many of my labs for science class. When we had labs with groups of just two, they would go pretty well. But if there were groups of more than two, it would take much longer to get the labs done. People would get into conversations or start goofing off and would lose focus. Or the people who weren't sure what they were doing would just sit on the sidelines and wait for others to do the work. I didn't notice this any more in the boys than the girls, though the people who tended to try to convince the group to focus were usually girls. I think that this phenomenon happened because people are less likely to be held individually accountable when they are in a group situation, so they don't perform as well.

Of the theories of love that we studied in class, I was most drawn to the Hatfield "Passionate and Companionate" theory. This seemed to me most accurate in terms of how good relationships work, and also explains why some relationships that seem good in the beginning don't work in the long run. I think that companionate love is the key to romantic happiness, and it's sad that passionate love gets all of the attention in the arts and media. The theory I liked the least was the Arousal Facilitation theory. It may be applicable to teenagers, but as we age and learn more about cause and effect, we are less likely to mistake certain types of arousal for love.

3. I recently allowed a friend who was having enormous personal difficulties at home to come and stay with me for two weeks while she regrouped and planned her next course of action. I think there were many factors contributing to my decision to help her. First, I felt sympathy for her situation. Although I hadn't been in the same situation myself, I could imagine how difficult it must be for her, and I wanted to make things easier for her. I was also motivated by the good feeling I got from being in a better situation than she and being able to offer her comfort. There was also a reward in sense -- she was very grateful, which made me feel good for doing it.

4. The shooters in the Columbine disaster were out not only to take revenge on those in the school who had been mean to them, but also to make a name for themselves. The intense media coverage of the event provided them a bit of after-death glory in a way. This may have been the reason for the uptick in school violence afterwards. Those who were harboring feelings and motivations similar to the Columbine shooters now had role models, and could count on the same kind of attention if they acted in the same way. But the media coverage also led to an increased awareness within the school systems of bullying and competitive social cultures that can lead to these sorts of crimes. As a result, anti-bullying policies and social awareness practices have been put into place in schools, leading to a slow decline in school violence.

5. Prejudice and stereotyping are still very much a part of today's society. Stereotypes are very prevalent in assumptions made about Hispanics, Asians, women, and homosexuals, along with many other groups. I think that probably everyone has been a victim of stereotyping at some point. When I've been stereotyped, my general reaction has been to shrug it off. In my experience, people who believe stereotypes are going to have their minds changed just by arguing with them. It's better to show them that their stereotypes are wrong through your actions. As for prejudice, it is important to fight it if you find it in the workplace or school, but as for personal relationships it may be more effective to just avoid relationships with those who have offensive prejudices.

6. I don't think that it's surprising that a link has been found between those with Type A personalities or hostility disorders and heart disease. Aggressive behavior, whether competitive or hostile, always leads to stress, and stress always takes a toll on the body. My uncle is a very successful businessman, and part of his success is that he is definitely a Type A personality. He is very impatient, competitive, and always needs to be the center of attention and in control. Because he is so driven and controlling, he doesn't take much time to sleep or eat well, and he is overweight and exhausted. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he has or is developing heart disease. If I had to give him advice, it would be to consider health and well-being as another type of success, and to give those things the same attention that he gives to work. I would suggest that he take time every day to do conscious relaxing, whether a walk or a long shower or just sitting and reading a book.