Homework 2
Read Chapters 6 and 7
Cognitive Dissonance
Attitudes and Attitude Change
Learning Objective:
- To apply the material from the lectures and readings to your own lives using scientific methodology.
Our textbook discusses how the current age of social media results in our implementing impression management strategies, as we tend to communicate only the good things that are going on for us. We publish more freely the triumphs and celebrations in our lives, which leave people with the impression that we are doing really well.
Pick your favorite social media app, and observe the postings of twenty friends/people you follow on that app. Rate these postings based on the degree of positivity reflected in each. You need to develop a scale to rate these posts. For instance, it could be a scale from 1 (very negative) to 5 (very positive), where 3 would be neutral. Or 1 to 3, or 1 to 10, or 1 to 7 scale. You pick whatever scale makes the most sense to you, just make sure to describe it in your paper.
If you don’t have social media, you can still complete the assignment using platforms that allow viewing them without an account (such as Twitter) or by using your friend’s account.
In your paper, you should indicate what social media platform you chose, describe your method (scale, how did you choose the posts, etc.), describe your results, and provide examples. You don’t need to include all the 20 posts that you observed, but you should include 3-5 examples to illustrate your points. Please be mindful of the privacy of those whose posts you observe and share. If their account is public, this will be fine to screenshot their post and include it in your paper. If their account is private, you can still share their post, just make sure to anonymize it (blur/cover faces and names). You can also describe posts in your own words instead of screenshotting them (this would be especially relevant for video posts).
Your paper should be about 2 pages long (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins). You can use any formatting you like (APA, MLA, etc.) or do your own thing. I will be grading the content of your paper and not the formatting.
Grading
Your paper should include the following:
- Description of your method
- Examples of social media posts (3-5)
- Evaluation of these examples
- Discussion of your results
- Grammatically correct and clear writing
Rubric
Homework 2 Rubric
Criteria | Ratings | Pts | |||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Method The social media platform used for this assignment is described and the scale used is explained. |
|
5 pts | |||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Examples Three to five examples of social media posts are included in the paper and discussed in the text. |
|
5 pts | |||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Evaluation The evaluation of the posts is described in detail and overall results are reported. |
|
5 pts | |||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Discussion The results of the mini-study are discussed in terms of impression management and connections are made to the class material. |
|
5 pts | |||
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
Spelling and Grammar No spelling and/or grammar mistakes. |
|
5 pts | |||
Total Points: 25 |