my first encounter with social psychology

every now and then, i will be sharing some of the fascinating lessons i got from my different classes.

1. most people DO NOT rate themselves as worse than the average. we usually rate ourselves better than the average.

2. people's behavior is NOT BEST predicted based on a person's disposition or personality. we must consider the power of the situation.

3. to alter the way people act, one has to make the person experience the situation.

4. people who are made self-conscious by looking to a mirror tend to act more in line with their attitude.

5. one DOES NOT NECESSARILY enjoy the activity if thereis a greater reward for it.

6. most people WOULD NOT disobey an officer if asked to hurt a stranger.

7. during debates, persuaders WILL NOT ALWAYS BE more effective if they acknowledge the opposing arguments. if the persuader is speaking in front of an audience agreeing to his or her position, don't even bother. however, if it's the other way around, consider doing it.

8. in a formal debate, it is NOT ALWAYS to your advantage if you go last.

9. in a game of tug of war, people generally pull harder if without a team.

10. in a group, the greater the cohesiveness, or the more "we" feeling, there is a LESSER tendency to come up with a good decision.