Apply it! Exercises

It Doesn't Hurt to Be "That Guy"
1. How could pluralistic ignorance support and help perpetuate stereotypical beliefs about groups of people?
2. How could memory distortions, second-hand impressions of other people, and ideological distortions lead to the dissemination of inaccurate stereotypes?
I Know What You Did Last Summer of the Shark
Stephen Colbert
How do heuristics and the confirmation bias explain the effectiveness of "scare tactics" (like the dangers of stairs of coconuts)?
The Age of Affirmation
Elisabeth Best
People tend to have a favorite source for their news and information. For example, some people prefer FOX News, others prefer NPR (National Public Radio), and still others prefer "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." Use the information in the article and chapter to discuss the relationship between people's beliefs and ideologies and their choice of news source.
Athletes Abstain from Sex in Quest for Gold
ABC News
Suppose you've had a long run of good luck when a friend asks you, "How are things going?" As soon as you respond, "Great; life has really been treating me well," you feel a compulsion to say "knock on wood," even though you don't believe in jinxes. Why, according to ideas discussed in this chapter, would someone feel such a compulsion? Why would athletes continue to believe in a superstition that, empirically, has been invalidated?
Do you have any superstitions or good luck charms? Analyze, from a social psychological perspective, why you might maintain those superstitions.

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