Psych 3350 Social Psychology Dr. Noelle Scuderi Page 1 Of 3

Psyc 3350 Social Psychology Dr Noelle Scuderi Page 1 Of 3homework A

Read one of two specified articles related to social psychology and write a 2-3 page analysis. Your paper should include the purpose of the article, hypotheses, methods, major findings, contributions to the field, and suggestions for future research. The work must be well-organized, properly cited in APA format, and adhere to academic standards. Use in-text citations for direct quotes and paraphrased ideas. The paper is due on February 6 and should be uploaded via the Blackboard SafeAssignment link.

Paper For Above instruction

The purpose of this assignment is to critically analyze and interpret a scholarly article in social psychology, applying appropriate scientific reading and writing skills. Students are to select one of two articles: Choice A (Oosterwijk et al., 2009) on embodied emotion concepts and posture, or Choice B (MacDonald & Standing, 2002) on self-serving bias and the Barnum Effect. The analysis involves summarizing the article’s main hypotheses, evaluating the clarity and sufficiency of the background literature, explaining the methodologies used, interpreting the findings, considering alternative explanations, and assessing the contribution of the research to the field. Additionally, students should propose a future research direction.

The report should begin with an introductory paragraph outlining the article's purpose and hypotheses, and whether the background literature adequately supports the theoretical framework. Moving forward, the methods section should describe how the researchers tested their hypotheses—evaluating whether the chosen methods appropriately addressed the concepts and variables involved. For instance, if hypotheses relate to emotional posture, did the methods reliably induce or measure this? If hypotheses pertain to biases, were the experimental procedures valid and controls adequate?

Next, interpret the findings: Did the results support or refute the hypotheses? What alternative explanations might account for the observed outcomes? For example, if an increase in pride correlates with an upright posture, could there be confounding variables, such as participants' baseline mood or other social factors? Your own insights are welcomed, especially if certain explanations were not explored or addressed in the original article.

Finally, discuss the significance of the research. Does it contribute meaningfully to the existing body of knowledge in social psychology? Could the findings be relied upon to inform practice or theory? Suggest a future research idea—either expanding on the original work or exploring related concepts—that could enhance understanding of the studied phenomena.

Your paper must be written in a formal academic style, adhering to APA formatting rules. Citations should be included whenever quoting or paraphrasing, with in-text citations (author, year, page). The reference list at the end must include full APA citations of the reviewed article and any other sources. The writing should be clear, concise, and free from spelling and grammatical errors. The document should be double-spaced, with 12-point font and standard margins. Content quality is prioritized over length, but aim for 2–3 pages to thoroughly address all elements.

Paper For Above instruction

In the realm of social psychology, understanding the intricate relationship between emotion, cognition, and behavior remains a pivotal pursuit. The article by Oosterwijk, Rotteveel, Fischer, and Hess (2009) titled "Embodied emotion concepts: How generating words about pride and disappointment influences posture" explores the fascinating intersection of emotion expression and bodily posture, grounded in the embodied cognition framework. This study hypothesizes that actively generating emotion-related words—specifically pride and disappointment—can influence participants' postural behaviors, reflecting the embodied nature of emotional concepts. Conversely, MacDonald and Standing's (2002) work on self-serving bias and the Barnum Effect examines the cognitive biases that underlie personality assessments, questioning whether self-serving bias can counteract the Barnum Effect's tendency to produce favorable personality judgments.

Choosing to analyze Oosterwijk et al. (2009), the purpose of this study centers around testing the hypothesis that emotional language and cognition are embodied in physical posture. The authors posit that individuals who articulate pride-related words will adopt more upright, expansive postures, indicative of positive emotional states, whereas those generating disappointment words will display more closed, slouched postures. The background literature provides substantial grounding in embodied cognition theory, referencing prior research that links language, emotion, and bodily states. This comprehensive review aids the reader's understanding of how cognitive representations of emotion are interconnected with physical expressions, supporting the hypotheses with a solid theoretical basis.

Methodologically, the researchers employed a controlled experimental design in which participants were randomly assigned to task conditions. Participants were asked to generate and write down words related to either pride or disappointment. Subsequently, their postures were recorded using posture analysis tools, measuring variables such as trunk expansion, chest openness, and overall body posture. The chosen methods are appropriate for examining the hypothesized link between emotional cognition and bodily posture. By instructing participants to focus on specific emotion-related words, the study operationalizes the abstract concepts effectively, and physical posture measurements provide objective data aligned with the theoretical assertions.

The results indicated that individuals focusing on pride-related words indeed adopted more upright, open postures characterized by increased trunk extension and chest puffing. Conversely, those generating disappointment words demonstrated more slouched, closed postures. These findings support the major hypotheses and contribute to evidence that emotional concepts are embodied in physical behavior. Nonetheless, alternative explanations, such as the influence of participants’ baseline mood or social desirability biases, merit consideration. For example, participants might have consciously or unconsciously adjusted their posture in response to perceived experimenter expectations. Despite this, the clear behavioral differences suggest that generating emotional language can influence somatic states, reinforcing the embodied cognition framework.

This article makes a valuable contribution to social psychology by empirically demonstrating that language related to emotion influences physical stance, thus supporting embodied cognition theories. These findings have implications for understanding how emotions are expressed and experienced, possibly informing interventions in clinical psychology, such as emotion regulation therapies. A future research direction could explore whether these posture shifts affect subsequent emotional experience or social interactions. For instance, does adopting an upright posture following pride-inducing words enhance feelings of confidence or social assertiveness? Integrating physiological measures, such as heart rate variability, could also deepen understanding of bodily-psychological interactions in emotional regulation.

References

  • MacDonald, D. J., & Standing, L. G. (2002). Does self-serving bias cancel the Barnum Effect? Social Behavior and Personality, 30(6), 625–634. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2002.30.6.625
  • Oosterwijk, S., Rotteveel, M., Fischer, A. H., & Hess, U. (2009). Embodied emotion concepts: How generating words about pride and disappointment influences posture. European Journal of Social Psychology, 39. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.584
  • Jordan, C., & Zanna, M. P. (1999). How to read a journal article in social psychology. Journal of Social Psychology, 139(1), 304–317.
  • Glenberg, A. M., & Gallese, V. (2012). Action-based theories of cognition: The case of embodied emotion. Psychological Review, 119(4), 704–729.
  • Wilson, M. (2002). Six views of embodied cognition. The Psychologist, 15(1), 52–55.
  • Niedenthal, P. M. (2007). Embodying emotion. Science, 316(5827), 1002–1005.
  • Barsalou, L. W. (2008). Grounded cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 617–645.
  • Fischer, A. H., & Manstead, A. S. R. (2008). Social functions of emotion. In M. Lewis, J. M. Haviland-Jones, & L. F. Barrett (Eds.), The handbook of emotion (3rd ed., pp. 253–276). Guilford Press.
  • Hogansen, D., & Hvidberg, D. (2019). Nonverbal communication and emotional expression. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 43(3), 251–271.
  • Schachter, S., & Singer, J. E. (1962). Cognitive, social, and physiological determinants of emotional states. Psychological Review, 69(5), 379–399.

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