Introduction
The social psychology phenomenon that I have chosen is the spotlight effect. The spotlight effect is the belief that others are paying more attention to one's appearance and behavior than they really are (Myers, 2013). This phenomenon occurs more in adolescence and in situations such as public speaking or if a person has a change in appearance (i.e. a blemish or a “bad” haircut). The spotlight effect particularly interests me because I have experienced this phenomenon and I have seen many of my friends and family members experience it as well. I feel that it is fascinating that people feel that others are paying more attention to them than they actually are and that we see ourselves as center stage (Myers, 2013).
Summary & Analysis
To further understand the spotlight effect two research articles will be summarized and analyzed. The first by Gilovish and Savisky (1999) titled The Spotlight Effect and the Illusion of Transparency: Egocentric Assessments of How We are Seen by Others is a review that focuses on the judgments people make about how they are seen by others. Gilovish and Savisky (1999) explain several studies that use the spotlight effect. In one study certain participants were asked to wear a Barry Manilow t-shirt and sit in a room with where several other participants were filling out paperwork. After some time, the participant wearing the shirt was escorted out of the room and asked how many people in the room would be able to recall who was on their t-shirt. The participants overestimated the accuracy of the observers and the participants wearing the t-shirt were noticed much less than they suspected (Gilovish & Savisky, 1999).
In another study by Brown and Stopa (2006) titled The Spotlight Effect...
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...t effect does take place and many many implications, both small and large. Overall, I found that the commonality of the spotlight effect to be the most interesting. It is both a shock and relief to know how many people it influences and the extent of that influence. I also find it fascinating that the feeling I have when I have a pimple and everyone must be staring at me has a title and is a social psychology phenomenon.
Works Cited
Brown, M. A., & Stopa, L. (2006). The spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency in social anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, (21), 804-819.
Gilovich, T., & Savitsky, K. (1999). The spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency: Egocentric assessments of how we are seen by others.Current Directions in Psychological Science, 165-168.
Myers, D. G. (2013). Social psychology. (11 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Imagine a thirteen year old middle school girl, wearing Guess boots and an Abercrombie hood in order to fit in. Visualize a thirty five year old man listening to the top forty radio stations and watching American Idol, so he can have something to add to the discussion with his co-workers over coffee break. The various types of behaviours stated before are pertained to as conformity. Conformity refers to the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours are influenced by other individuals. Except, how do these necessities manipulate a being? Social psychologists have conducted an assortment of experiments and concluded that, through a range of forms of social influence, groups can alter their members’ personality. Jerry Spinelli’s novel Stargirl depicts the physiological troubles with conformity as it’s main theme. Furthermore it leaves the reader inquiring is my personality truly me? Or had it been predisposed by the society? Spinelli declares that conformity damages a person’s personality through changing their identity, tolerance level, and individuality. In Stargirl, the high school symbolizes the general public, how the weak follows the influential and powerful moreover individuals who don’t follow the powerful are looked low upon.
Even if following the social norms means changing their values and behaviors, which make up their identities, they are likely to be influenced by their surroundings rather than their own judgments. Tom Vanderbilt is well aware of the power of public eyes over individuals. He examines that cars become safe havens where people can truly be themselves with freedom from the shackles of social expectations. He states that “because we feel that no one is watching, or that no one we know will see us, the inside of the car itself becomes a useful place for self-expression” (Vanderbilt 491), explaining the difference in people’s behaviors in public and private space. When unseen, people take actions that they would normally refrain from when they are around others – “nasal probing”, singing, or crying (491), for example. Anonymity is therefore beneficial to the development of identity in
Herbert, Bob. “Hiding From Reality” They Say I Say. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. 564-567. Print.
Typically, 2 people will form an opinion of others within the first 3 seconds of meeting one another. The way these opinions are formed so quickly is, generally speaking, solely because of physical appearance. All too often, in our society today, people are criticized for what material possessions they have and how much money said people have to spend on things that they do not need, but instead just want. It does not matter where you go; this can be observed almost anywhere. Sometimes, when people notice that someone has cheaper clothes or less objects of purely material value, the people who have more frown upon those who have less. Ev...
Solomon Asch’s experiment in “Opinions and Social Pressure” studied a subject’s ability to yield to social pressure when placed within a group of strangers. His research helped illustrate how groups encourage conformity. During a typical experiment, members of the group were asked by the experimenter to claim two obvious mismatched lines were identical. The single individual who was not privy to this information was the focal point of the experiment. Twelve out of eighteen times the unsuspecting individual went along with the majority, dispelling his beliefs in favor of the opinions of the group.
Owen, K., & Hancock, A. B. (2010). The role of self- and listener perceptions of
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