What Ive Learned So Far Essays

What Ive Learned So Far Essays What Ive Learned So Far Essay What Ive Learned So Far Essay Now that my children are a little older, I am ready to focus on things I would like to do. I never thought I would be going to school this late in my life, but I am figuring out it is more common than not. I have learned so much through my trials and errors. I am learning a lot about myself and others as we are reading our social psychology book. I am becoming a better person because I can understand how others might think or why they do some of the things they do. My Story Thus Far When we are in a social environments, we may say things or behave in ways we think others want to hear us say or act a certain way. No one wants to feel embarrassed or left out. Everyone wants to â€Å"fit in†. No one wants to rock the boat in fear of criticism. Everyone wants to be liked. According to D.G. Meyers (2005) behavior determines attitudes and we come to believe in what we stand up for. Our social roles influence our attitudes under different circumstances. When we are in a group of strangers, we try not to bring negative attention to ourselves. We pay more attention to how we are dressed, what kinds of things we talk about and how we are making our first impression. We observe our actions and attitudes more closely. We pay attention to the people around us closer also. We watch their reactions to what we say and how we say it for clues to know if we are getting â€Å"agreement† with what we are saying or if we need to change what we are saying or how we are behaving. When people look at us in agreement, we can tell by their heads shaking up and down or the looks on their faces in a â€Å"pleasing† look. When people do not agree, we can tell that in their facial expressions also. We pay attention to these mannerisms to know what we need to next. Conforming pressure influences decision-making.This pressure may have good or bad effects depending on the situation. There are two possibilities why people make their decisions (D.G. Myers, 2005). One is